Building Biblical Pillars

John 14 22 to 31

2012-01-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Key Observation:
There is no “middle” ground as far as Jesus is concerned; there are only those who keep the sayings of Jesus, believing in Him, or there are those are following the prince of this world, hearing not the words of God.

Devotion:
“My sheep hear my voice and come to me.” I have often thought of the analogy of the stockyard filtering cattle through it. As I understand it there are chutes of narrow fencing that the cattle go through on their way to the stockyard. I imagine that there are two chutes; one a chute of life and happiness, the other a chute for destruction and death. There is a common chute through which all cattle have to go—to the left is the chute of destruction, and to the right is the chute of life. Imagine that the common chute has pictures advertising the coming choice; cattle may turn to either chute, but the advertising along the way clearly tries to tell the cattle of the very different choices.

On the one side you have a skull and cross bones sign, with perhaps lots of fast food signs indicating what the left side will bring. On the other side you have pictures of beautiful green pastures with lots of hay on the ends of the fields. Further on this side is the Good Shepherd calling to those cattle. Most ignore His voice, and end their lives in violent judgment; a few hear the voice of the Shepherd, and instinctively turn to follow it, that they might find the Shepherd and finding Him, find life.

There is no middle ground; some of the cattle seem to hear the Shepherd’s voice, but do not turn from the “wicked way”. Others seem oblivious to His voice, and continue blindly to their desserts. But there are only two choices; all really is black and white, saved or unsaved, lost or found. That is not as I see the world and perhaps I am not meant yet to see it that way. I see good and bad in most of us—even those that have become saints often struggle against sin (as I do) unsuccessfully. Certainly I see different degrees of “badness” in the evil world about me—some of the horrific deeds that plaster our headlines so often tell me of the tragedy of the human heart gone wrong.

But at the base of it all there is right and wrong; people choose life or death, and there is nothing in the middle. Either you follow Jesus, or you follow the prince of this world. Today it is not fashionable to even mention evil, let alone the name of Satan. All is tolerated, and tolerated in what I think is the very wrong sense—it is embraced as a valid alternative lifestyle. The more people accept evil without condemnation, the more civilized they are thought to be. Nothing could be further from the gospel. Make no mistake, as Jesus loved the world, so I am supposed to follow His example. The responsibility for carrying the Word of God is mine, and surely it amounts to madness that my God should trust me to carry it. But He does, it is not madness, it is His very plan, and the Scripture says, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1 Cor. 1:21) Our attitude should be that which is given in the book of Jude, “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

Did you read that last? Toleration of the world for saints is never approval of sinful lifestyles. We should not follow the wise men of our times, who tell us there is no right and wrong, there is only right and wrong for you. The Bible stands in the chute today telling us to turn towards life, and in the turning to repudiate every deviant lifestyle, even while showing mercy and love. A very high calling indeed.

Make Me a Channel of Blessing

1. Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing through you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready His service to do?

2. Is your life a channel of blessing?
Are you burdened for those that are lost?
Have you urged upon those who are straying,
The Savior Who died on the cross?

3. Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is it a daily telling for Him?
Have you spoken the Word of salvation
To those who are dying in sin?

4. We cannot be channels of blessing
If our lives are not free from known sin;
We will barriers be and a hindrance
To those we are trying to win.

Chorus:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.

Lyrics: Harper Garcia Smyth

John 14 15 to 21

2012-01-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Key Observation:
We will get another Comforter who will abide with us forever.

Devotion:
Yesterday I learned that the Triune God is involved in answering prayer; I found verses which explicitly state that each part of the Godhead can be involved in answering prayer. Today Jesus begins to explain about the Holy Spirit, called here another Comforter. Now the Holy Spirit’s job here is to abide with me forever, which means I will have God in me for the rest of eternity.

As I look ahead to what Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit, I find this:
1) He is the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept. (14:17)
2) He will testify about Jesus. (John 15:26)
3) He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.
(John 16:8)
4) He will convict the world of sin because of unbelief (John 16:9)
5) He will convict of righteousness because Jesus is going to the Father. (John 16:10)
6) He will convict of judgment because the prince of this world has been condemned.
7) He will guide us into all truth. (John 16:12)
8) He will bring glory to Jesus. (John 16:14)
9) He will take from what belongs to Jesus, and make it known unto us. (John 16:15)

Summing up, He will testify, convict, guide, bring glory, and take—that is He will:
1) testify about Jesus
2) convict the world of sin
3) convict of righteousness
4) convict of judgment
5) guide us into all truth
6) bring glory to Jesus
7) take from what belongs to Jesus and make it known to us.

Thus there seem to be seven definite things that Jesus is teaching that the Holy Spirit does for us. There may be more; yesterday I did point out that Paul teaches the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we are in prayer. I do also remember that He is called the Restrainer (2 Thess. 2:7), and is evidently preventing Satan himself from working his power of lawlessness.

So I would not suppose the list to be exhaustive, but it seems to include all that Jesus does teach in the gospel of John. I thank God for deigning to put even His nature into me; because of that I am indeed a new creature, and even the gates of hell will not prevail against that which He has done.

Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart

1. Spirit of God, descend upon my heart:
Wean it from earth, thro' all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

2. Hast Thou not bid us love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross; there teach my heart to cling;
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find.

3. Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

4. Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame:
The baptism of the heav'n descended Dove
My heart an altar and Thy love the flame.

Lyrics: George Croly

John 14 12 to 14

2012-01-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Key Observation:
We have complete access to prayers to Jesus.

Devotion:
If I ask anything in His name, He will do it. In this passage it is Jesus who answers prayer Himself. In John 16:23, Jesus specifically says, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” In Romans 8: 26, the Scripture says, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes with groans that words cannot express.” What a marvel prayer is! Here are three separate passages that tell of the different members of the Triune God, all three separately working to answer our prayers.

There is a growing school today that tries to teach that all that we pray for is ordained already of God. While this may be true from the point of view of God, who cannot be surprised, neither will encounter anything that He has not planned for, yet, in the sense of our responsibility before God, I am convinced there is much that we do not have because we do not ask. Why am I convinced of that?

Well, first off, the Scripture says it, “You have not because you ask not.” (James 4:2) James, the book that marries the idea of faith and works, also counsels me, “Remember this, whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover a multitude of sins.” I am convinced that many of the unreached around us could be reached if I were more prayerful and alert to God. You might say to me, “Oh, Pat, that is not so. God saves everyone that He elects.” Well, I would say back, you and I would agree that God foreknows the elect and has predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son. That we agree wholeheartedly on! But the method of reaching the lost is given through the preaching of the cross. What happens, I would ask, when we will not preach?

What I am trying to say is that God has intended all along to use imperfect vessels to carry forth His word. It is a miracle truly to see anyone saved through the preaching of imperfect vessels. What would have happened if D. L. Moody had decided that proclaiming the gospel was not something he should worry about? What would have happened if I had decided not to pray for my own father, and preach the gospel to him many times? The rule, of course, is that neither you nor I can say with any degree of confidence what would have happened. I do not think that we can ever know what would have happened to the path not chosen. We do know because the Scripture says, that it pleased God to “by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

I do know that Paul asks us a very serious question: “How shall they hear without a preacher?” Where would India be if William Carey was too busy to answer the call? I am well aware that saints use the sovereignty of God as a focus for what happens, and well they should, but I know that God has made us responsible, and that we ought to be doing “our utmost for His highest”. The price the body of Christ pays when we are not striving in the Spirit can only be imagined; fortunately I cannot see the end of what might have been had I chosen a better course.

I am saying all of this to try to impart some sort of urgency to the body of prayerful saints. I am old, and soon will be older, but I have watched my communities come together in prayer, and watched revival happen many times because of that urgency falling on a small group of saints. I do not think that the pat answer of non-thinking saints is enough. I know that prayers are often coming from the leading of God Himself. What I am told in James ought to give me huge pause, “Remember this, whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20) It is evident from this verse that our choices can and do impact the world around us for Christ. The verse is not saying that I do anything more than preach the cross, and it is indeed God Himself who does the convicting. But the question, “How shall they hear without a preacher?” is meant to be a haunting one, one that pricks my conscience.

So, when I gather with even just a few brothers for the purpose of prayer, let me gather knowing that I have the Triune God listening to me, and that I should be burdened for the lost around me, as God Himself is, and that I ought to be using this most holy weapon of prayer to maximize the advance of the gospel. It is not me, it is never me, yet it has pleased God to work His wonders through the foolishness of my preaching. Oh that I might be wise enough to pray for opportunities for that preaching, that revival of my brothers might include a holy fire burning with zeal to see the message advanced! We should always be vigilant in prayer, that God might send those holy fires of revival beginning in us, and that we might see the message spread into our community. What did Christ promise me in today’s message? “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Christ For the World We Sing

1. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With loving zeal
The poor, and them that mourn,
The faint and overborne,
Sinsick and sorrow-worn,
For Christ to heal.

2. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With fervent prayer
The wayward and the lost,
By restless passions tossed,
Redeemed at countless cost
From dark despair.

3. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With one accord
With us the work to share,
With us reproach to dare,
With us the cross to bear,
For Christ our Lord.

4. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With joyful song
The newborn souls whose days,
Reclaimed from error's ways,
Inspired with hope and praise,
To Christ belong.

Lyrics: Samuel Wolcott

John 14 5 to 11

2012-01-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Key Observation:
There is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus.

Devotion:
Now I come to one of the most important verses in the Bible. This relates strongly to John 10, where Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” Jesus plays the exclusive card here, and since this is God come in the flesh, I should heed what He is saying. He plainly says that He is the way, and that no one comes to the Father but by Him.

Many Christians over the years, especially those who wander into the more liberal camp, and do not want to take the Bible literally have speculated endlessly about religions all pointing the way to the same God. Our current president spent over 20 years belonging to a church that receives those of Muslim faith as co-equals in their church. I live in a society which takes pride in being an inclusive society; such societies have great pride in its tolerance, and as a national policy such tolerance might be a grand idea. But with Christianity, I just cannot go there.

Many years ago now, I got a fellow worker upset at me. I did not say anything nor do anything to anger him. Rather he found out that I was a Christian, and spout off about me he did. And you know something? I deserved every word of it. You see, this worker realized that Christianity is a closed system, and because of his lifestyle, it seemed to him that Christians were excluding him. He was partially right—there are many lifestyles which Christians need to exclude from giving them a seal of approval—that is all part of living, or attempting to live the life to which they have been called. Lifestyles, sinful choices, or a mixture of religions are supposed to be denounced as ungodly. The challenge for me as a Christian is to communicate a love for the sinner, but not for the sin.

But he was correct in thinking of the Christian system as closed. It is closed, and John 14:6 closes one of the main doors very securely. Let me be clear here. There is no sin which cannot be forgiven as the saint turns to Christ, but there are many behaviors which are simply wrong, and I do not have the privilege of calling right that which I am told is wrong. When I have a chance to witness, I like to point to this saying, this verse from Jesus, and simply say that there is only one way to heaven, and that way is through Jesus. The main alternate way has been refused from God from the first of creation; it was Cain who brought his fruits of the soil, only to find that God rejected his offering. Cain, enraged, had vengeance on his brother, and ever since then, man has brought his own offering to please God. It has never ever worked.

Today’s society often suffers from the delusion that God will measure our works, and that if our good somehow outweighs our bad, somehow God will overlook the bad. I have noticed that even bad people tend to think that though the bad is bad, somehow God will overlook that also, and let them into His heaven. Nothing could be more delusional. The reformation brought people back to the Word, and the Word teaches that only by faith can we ever please God. He that comes to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Today we have a doctrine of free grace, and I believe that each of our Reformers would be dreadfully upset at such a doctrine. We are quite guilty of teaching others that all you have to do is mentally assent to Jesus and you will be saved. Make no mistake, I came to God with sin-stained hands, and with the sin nature that I was born to, and freely I am forgiven. But at the same time I am called to live a holy life, a life separated unto God. The reformers expressed this truth regularly—that grace is free, but it is also transforming. When I come to Christ, my life on the outside should become much more circumspect precisely because the Spirit of God has been put inside me. Grace is free, but it also is transforming. The man who is not changed by his faith is a man who should question the reality of that faith.

I know that we are imperfect; indeed, I know my imperfections to a far greater degree than I would tell you. I would not tell God either, but He already knows. And still I have grace! Forgiveness from sin is freely granted, but the life we are called to live, by His power, is filled with a turning away from sin, and towards Christ. The life which is not being changed by His power is a life in peril. Paul does tell us of Christians whose works amount to nothing and at the reward seat of Christ all of their works are burned as by fire.

The answer from the Christian perspective should be clear; there is not any God beside our God, and there remains nothing to be done for those who reject the Son of God. The provision for the world’s sin was fully adequate in every way, and those who disdain it are in deepest peril. Jesus, in John 14:6, took away forever any thinking that we might have about coming to God another way. It is as Jesus said. The pathway to heaven is a narrow one, and few there are that find it, but the road to Hell is broad, and many there are that are found upon it.

A Charge To Keep I Have

1. A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

2. To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill;
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master's will!

3. Arm me with jealous care
As in Thy sight to live,
And now Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!

4. Help me to watch and pray,
And still on Thee rely,
O let me not my trust betray,
But press to realms on high.

Lyrics: Charles Wesley

John 14 1 to 4

2012-01-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Key Observation:
Jesus is preparing a place for us.

Devotion:
This discourse of Jesus is my favorite, and it begins right here. McGee feels that the break between chapter 13 and 14 here is unfortunate (it is not broken into chapters in the original), and thinks the first part of 14 is directed at Peter, to help him after he denies Jesus. “Simon Peter has just declared that he would lay down his life for Him. Then the Lord Jesus told him that he would deny Him three times by the time the rooster crowed in the morning. We will see later that, when the rooster crowed that morning, Simon Peter had denied Him three times. Still speaking to Simon Peter, our Lord gave this chapter to bring him through that dark night of denial and to bring him back into a right relationship with God. It was given to comfort him. This chapter has cushioned the shock for multitudes of people from that day right down to the present hour.”

As for me, I am so thankful to Peter for his broken record of faithfulness; often I see myself in him, though I would rather be the disciple that John was. Peter, indeed, messed up all the time. I mess up also, and thinking about it on the way home today, remembering my sins, and all the things I wished I had not done, and then about God’s grace. I said to myself that if there is any way that my salvation is in the least dependant on me, then I am surely lost. All to Him I owe. To think that my Lord’s love for Peter may have caused Him to begin this discourse is of great comfort. Imagine these words being directed to Peter: “Let not your heart be troubled.” If you believe in God, believe also in me.

I worked among the homeless at Union Rescue Mission of Los Angeles for nearly four years. Though I have not been back, living in Northern California as I do, I still smile as I remember the homeless men loudly singing “I Have a Mansion Over the Hilltop.” Those men, bereft of any home or possessions, knew the preciousness of this promise. I trust Peter realized the preciousness of this promise too.

Notice the promise is twofold:
1) I go to prepare a place for you,
and 2) I will come back and take you to be with me.
Paul also teaches of two things that happen to the church (that are closely related to the promise). The first thing is those who die, Paul teaches, are present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8). I have watched funerals where the people attending have no hope, and there is a great emotional drain on these folk that goes beyond anything I have seen. My wondering is about that first thing that happens. Did part of what Jesus did in His ascension make that place for us? I think so, and Paul, does tell us further that when we saints lose someone, that we sorrow, but not as those who have no hope.

But Jesus is telling us that He will come back and take us to be with Him. That has not happened yet, but Paul teaches that one day soon Jesus will return, bringing those “who have fallen asleep in Him” and we who are alive will be caught up together with Him. So shall we be with Him forever! Oh victory! Oh death! Where is your sting?

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102809-102813). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

I’ve Got a Mansion Just Over the Hilltop

I'm satisfied with just a cottage below
A little silver and a little gold
But in that city where the ransomed will shine
I want a gold one that's silver lined

I've got a mansion just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we'll never grow old
And some day yonder we will never more wander
But walk on streets that are purest gold

Though often tempted, tormented, and tested
And like the prophet my pillow's a stone
And though I find here no permanent dwelling
I know He'll give me a mansion my own

I've got a mansion just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we'll never grow old
And some day yonder we will never more wander
But walk on streets that are purest gold

Don't think me poor or deserted or lonely
I'm not discouraged I'm heaven bound
I'm but a pilgrim in search of the city
I want a mansion, a harp and a crown

I've got a mansion just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we'll never grow old
And some day yonder we will never more wander
But walk on streets that are purest gold

By Ira Stamphill

John 13 33 to 38

2012-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

Key Observation:
Peter, ready to fight, was willing to lay down his life, but the Lord foretold his denials.

Devotion:
I remember studying The Life of Christ in Stereo about 30 years ago. The book is an effort to sandwich all four of the gospels together in a time line. If I recall correctly, the book makes a compelling case for Peter denying Christ not three times, but instead six times. Evidently John is only recording half of the conversation here, as it is evident elsewhere that Jesus makes 2 statements concerning Peter’s denial: 1) Before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me thrice, and 2) Before the cock crows twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. At first I remember thinking it was just a slight forget, the word twice, and that it would be expected of witnesses who may or may not have heard it directly.

But what is so compelling about the case is the number of people who accuse Peter of being one of Jesus’ disciples. There are many more than three, and when lined up in the harmonizing of the gospels, it is fairly evident that Peter denied his Lord six times. I think it likely, though the evidence is not there, that those hearing the conversation either only heard part of it, or only recorded part of it. I think most probably that Peter came back to the Lord, insisting that he would never deny his Lord, and it was then that the Lord says that before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times, thus suggesting to Peter that it would happen six times.

As I think on it, I realize I may never know, and I realize that is wonderful. Peter has had enough of his sins out there for thousands of years, and for millions of people to look at. I would find that embarrassing enough, without everyone trying to figure out after we get to heaven whether it really was three times, or was it six? I remember the promise of God, that He will cast our sins into the depths of the sea, and will remember them no more. What a beautiful thing forgiveness is! My sins, ever before me, will be forgotten as my Lord and my God makes me into a new creature!

By this, says Jesus, will the world know that you are my disciples, that you love one another. It is love for my fellow disciples that witnesses to the world. It is my love to my brothers in Christ that will have powerful pull on the unsaved. When I think of all the times we have not begun to find love, when it should have been the first thing to look for, I shudder to think of my personal failure. Recently I was reading letters from Wesley to Whitefield and back again. Both men were most careful to express love to each other even in their disagreements about election and free will. At least in that instance, both set an example that teaches me how I should behave towards my brothers: love first, and disagreements always set behind that love. As the Word reminds me, “love covers a multitude of sins.”

Only the last three verses of this hymn, because they are especially appropriate to the topic:

There's a Wideness in God's Mercy

10. It is God: His love looks mighty,
But is mightier than it seems;
'Tis our Father: and His fondness
Goes far out beyond our dreams.

11. But we make His love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify His strictness
With a zeal He will not own.

12. Was there ever kinder shepherd
Half so gentle, half so sweet,
As the Savior who would have us
Come and gather at His feet?

Lyrics: Frederick William Faber

Cry Out For Revival!

2012-01-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

Cry Out For Revival!
Thoughts from sermon, 1/22/12

Scripture:
Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1Peter 2:12

Today, more than any recent time, I see a shift in what Christianity is doing to America, and it frightens me. Our speaker this morning gave an example: “Christians saying, ‘Jesus is the only way’ is considered hate speech in our country. I am old, and will soon be, Lord willing, older. I recall the spirit of the times in the 1970s. Headlines screamed day after day of government wanting to run families, of CPS being called whenever a parent spanked a child, even in the grocery stores. I remember the “unisex” drive to merge both sexes, a denial of differences between boys and girls, and I remember having trouble finding the men’s section in the shoe store because of all the similarity in men’s and women’s shoes. I remember a dearth of Christianity, at least coming from the nation.

I remember also many hippies being saved. I recall efforts by giants like David Wilkerson, and Jews for Jesus to reach out for lost youth. Well I should remember them, for I accepted Christ in just such a time, May 5, 1972. The spiritually dead time of the 60’s broke into revival of the 70’s and led to even Time Magazine heralding “The Year of the Evangelical”. But as I look back now, the early 80’s were nearly 30 years ago, and what has happened to America since then?

The speaker this morning brought up ‘cutters’, but I remember cutters throughout the 80s. Still, I wonder if she did not have a point, for even after thirty years it still remains an unknown to mainstream society, but is perhaps growing in the field of what I would call bizarre. Now, being nearly 60, I do beg forgiveness on the part of those who are younger, but please let me tell you what I find so appalling in today’s world. Cutters do bother me; they bothered me when I first saw a pretty young high school girl cutting herself in 1985. What is the thing with tattoos? I do not understand why people want to deface their bodies for a lifetime. I have never understood the nearly twenty years of baggy pants and young men. Do they really want everyone to think their pants are falling down? I have always wondered whether there is not a hidden metaphor in there somewhere, where the children are trying and failing to fill the pants of their parents. And the piercings? I grew up slightly after the beatniks, and thought they were weird, but they cannot hold a candle to the people who seem to want to pierce every inch of their bodies.

I recall drugs being a problem; after all, Nixon declared his “war on drugs” in the sixties. But I still wonder if the problem has not gotten lots worse. I do hear employers all over the country having a hard time finding enough employees who can even pass a drug test. Evidence for Christianity leading the nation is at a low; the president belonged for over 20 years to a church which seems to be anything but Biblical, in its hatred and bigotry, and tolerance of even Islamic members. What is Christianity if not an exclusive religion?

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” I know it to be somewhat old fashioned to quote the Bible, but there it is anyway. Our society today does, as our speaker said, want to accept anything and everything as valid, and it seems to successfully put down any who want to hold to a creed. It seems that there is a damnable doctrine of “tolerance” out there that disabuses any notion of good and bad, of right and wrong.

But I want to look at things through the eyes of my Lord, and I have to say that I see a lot of similarities between today’s society and the time of the late sixties and early seventies. There was a big push toward government doing everything in both times; both times seem to suffer with a rapidly decaying family. Charles Murray gives a lot of disheartening statistics on out of wedlock births and lack of marriages, which I think to be even worse than I knew in earlier times. My Lord says, “Do not say there are yet four months more and then harvest. I tell you, open your eyes and look on the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (I believe our speaker referred to this verse??)

I cannot tell you how excited I am! We live in the last days, the days just before our Lord will take us away, and when the world will be judged for its lack of faith. I ask you what better time could we live in? Our church is stepping into a 44,000 square foot facility, and this morning at Starbucks our barista marveled, saying what are you going to do with all that space? My prayer is that all of those empty nooks and crannies will be filled with the harvest of souls from Elk Grove. I want Young Life using it. I want it filled with youth, as MaryBeth outlined for us this morning. I want outreach to the homeless. I want active evangelism started in our community. In short, what I do not want, is for it to remain empty.

It is just for such a time as this that we live. It is our responsibility to bring a message of hope to the hopeless, and I cannot remember a time in which our message is more ripe for giving. We stand at the cusp of history, not yelling ‘stop’ as Buckley says, but giving the only message possible to stop the downfall of America. Let us begin with Elk Grove, holding her up to God in prayer, that if by any means, the Lord will use us to harvest the bountiful harvest of needy souls. It may well be, as our speaker said, that we have stagnated horribly as a society, but within that horrible stagnation is the richest of opportunity for generation. Will you join me in fervent effectual prayer to the Lord of the Harvest, that He might provide a rich harvest, beginning in Elk Grove, right in the building, formerly known as Gold’s Gym? Oh, that we might see a change, that the gym which glorified nothing but the bodies of men and women, might speak instead to their souls, and begin pouring the immeasurable love of God into them!

Revival begins with one person asking himself what would Jesus do. I went to Biola in the seventies, and know of three professors in Biola who dared to stand up in the seventies and ask God for revival, and the things they received for Biola forty years ago are still impacting the school today. Three men, praying and emptying their souls before God, claimed the junior high school adjacent to their property, and today Biola is able to reach and teach twice the students! Along with it came a surge in missionaries sent round the world to give the gospel to the needy.

There is a famous story about D.L. Moody, that as a beginning Christian, he read the words, “It remains to be seen what one man, wholly committed to God can do.” It is said that Moody determined to be that man. Look what happened! I say to you, God, who is the same God of those praying professors, who is the same God as Moody had, can bring great revival in this last time. Oh, that you might see it by faith, and enter into prayer together. Perhaps I could amend the saying that inspired Moody: “It remains to be seen what one church can do for God, wholly committed unto Him.”

Standing in the Need of Prayer

1. Not my father, not my mother, but it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
Not my sister, not my brother, but it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

2. Not the people that are shouting, but it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
Not the members I've been doubting, but it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

3. Not the preacher, not the sinner, but it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
Not the deacon, not the teacher, but it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

Chorus:
It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.
It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord,
Standing in the need of prayer.

John 13 21 to 32

2012-01-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

Key Observation:
Jesus gives permission to Judas to betray Him, and this confounds me with sovereignty and free will working together.

Devotion:
Simon Peter leads the way in asking, but asks John, because John, as the best friend of Jesus is sitting right next to Jesus and is thus in-between Peter and Jesus. John asks the question, which evidently is answered in a low enough tone that most of those present, especially Judas, do not hear the reply.

I do not know what Judas thought when Jesus gave His permission to Judas to betray Him. Did Judas realize what was behind the statement: “That thou doest, do quickly”? I do know that Satan was already in Judas, tempting him to do that which Judas had already been considering. As previously mentioned, I think that Judas reacted to the money that Mary had spent on the perfume, more than a year’s wages, evidently deciding this was the last straw, for Matthew tells of Judas going to the leaders to betray Jesus directly after this.

How beautifully God has interwoven the will of man with the sovereignty of God. Psalm 109 really is a prophetic foretelling of Judas, and we learn that Satan entered Judas from Luke 22. But from John, we learn that Judas was already a thief, and habitually stole money (John 12:6). So which is more important—the sovereignty of God, or the will and nature of Judas? I do not think it answerable, but rather I think that we see them harmonizing together in some intangible or unknowable way to the glory of God, that He might be completely sovereign, and that Judas might be held completely responsible for his betrayal.

I do not believe man is made to explain this mystery of God—the harmonizing of responsibility and sovereignty; Tozer says somewhere (I have not had much luck in retrieving it) that if we insist on lifting either responsibility or sovereignty too high, we diminish the one at the expense of the other. I do believe that, as the Bible presents both, and I do believe it is my duty and obligation to choose to believe what the Word says, no matter the difficulty in resolving what John Piper and Roger Olson both confess as paradoxes of their different systematic theologies.

Explain the Trinity to me—you can’t. Explain to me how Jesus can be both fully man and God—you can’t. But we believe these doctrines in spite of their irresolvable difficulties. I do believe it is so with election and human responsibility—we must believe the Scriptures as they are presented, and leave room later for God to show His complete righteousness and the fallibility and responsibility of man. What a better testimony the church would have if we left the mysteries of God to God, and instead got back to our known and plain duties of loving each other and persuading men of the Christ!

Almost Persuaded

1. "Almost persuaded" now to believe;
"Almost persuaded" Christ to receive:
Seems now some soul will say,
"Go Spirit, go Thy way;
Some more convenient day
On Thee I'll call."

2. "Almost persuaded," come, come today;
"Almost persuaded," turn not away:
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are lingering near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear,
O wanderer, come.

3. "Almost persuaded," harvest is past!
"Almost persuaded," doom comes at last!
"Almost" cannot avail,
"Almost" is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail,
"Almost," but lost!

Lyrics: Philip Paul Bliss

John 13 15 to 20

2012-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Key Observation:
Prophecy: Jesus foretells the betrayal of Judas, in order that afterwards the disciples might indeed believe that He is the Son of God.

Devotion:
I used to sit under the teaching of an old preacher who frequently taught about numerology, or the study of the symbolism of numbers. While it is possible to go too far in this interpretive mode (Augustine is one example of going too far—numbers are forever being explained by him.), this preacher taught that every time chapter 13 was encountered there was something wrong. I thought, as a young man, that I had caught him, and asked him, ‘What’s wrong with Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians?’ This chapter is famous for its love theme, and stands as one of the highest expressions of the truest expressions of man. The preacher had the whole congregation memorize this chapter because we lacked love for each other, a fact I should have remembered before I objected. He replied to me without a second’s hesitation, ‘There is too little love being shown, even among Christians.’

At any rate, I come to the 13th chapter of John, and I do find something terrible wrong. The chapter begins with Judas being prompted by Satan to betray Jesus (verse 2) and that is so terribly wrong. In the passage today, in verse 13: “He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me”, a quotation that Jesus is making from Psalm 41. McGee opens his commentary on this passage noting: “The third reason is that another person had entered into the room. There was an uninvited guest present. His name was Satan. We speak of thirteen persons in the Upper Room, but actually, there were fourteen because Satan was there. Satan put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Him. Wherever the Devil gets into Christian work, others are affected and the Lord must wash them. He must wash us if we are to have fellowship with Him.”

There is great irony unfolding in these chapters which denote the last week of Jesus. On the one hand, the greatest discourse of Jesus is given to his disciples, and some of the greatest treasures are told privately to them. Jesus is letting his disciples know of the full estate that they are coming to, showing them that God is lifting them far above any station that they could ever have dreamed about, and Jesus is also giving us a higher hope than ever conceived as He unfolds the plan of salvation to those with faith.

The main irony is found in Judas; that someone should betray Jesus was foretold long ago in the Psalms, but the timing of the betrayal exactly fulfills Psalm 41. What irony there is when this is the very hour at which Jesus gives his last words, knowing time is short, and that there are things which must be said before He dies. But there is also irony in the fact that Jesus tells us of the dizzying heights to which He will raise us, but He does so only after telling us that we ought to wash one another’s feet. So at once I am raised up beyond expectation and told to humble myself beyond expectation.

Is that not the essence of my Savior? Has He not been lifted up, that every knee should bow, and that He should be above every other name? And yet, did He not humble Himself, counting Himself of no repute, and becoming obedient to death on the cross? What a life I am called to! I can never follow Jesus that way, because my heart and life are simply not good enough. But in realizing that it is impossible for me to live this life in my own power, I make the first step towards actually getting there. In the discourse that follows Jesus outlines his plan for the disciples and talks about His very Spirit being given to us, and this that we have no hope of accomplishing in our own power, becomes possible as we yield to the leadership of that Spirit.

I fear we Christians have become too self-centered, and seek to please ourselves rather than others. Tozer noted this trend even in his day: “In the United States and Canada the middle class today possesses more earthly goods and lives in greater luxury than emperors and maharajas did a short century ago. And since the bulk of Christians comes from this class it is not difficult to see why the apocalyptic hope has all but disappeared from among us. It is hard to focus attention upon a better world to come when a more comfortable one than this can hardly be imagined.” If it was true in Tozer’s day, it is even more true today. We in the United States are in what is called the “post-Christian” era. I may fight against this declaration, and I do; I may pray hard for a revival to sweep my country once more, and I do; I may struggle to find Christians honoring truth in an increasingly decadent society, and I do; but I cannot help but be confronted on every side by the generation that knows not Christ.

When we seek blessings and goods for ourselves we tend to forget about the imminent return of Christ Jesus, who asked, “When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?” Surely in America He will find divorce, broken homes, moral degeneration, amid a growing and alarming tolerance for sin on the part of Christians. Is it not time to fall on our faces before God in repentance? In the Old Testament when kings read the Law, and discovered their own wickedness and short-comings, they covered themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Perhaps we need ourselves to get out the sackcloth and ashes. It is the first step toward revival of a desperately lost nation. And while we are at it, perhaps we can learn anew to wash one another’s feet.

Tozer, A.W. (2010-06-03). Man - The Dwelling Place of God (Kindle Locations 1918-1921). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102598-102601). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

O For A Closer Walk With God1. O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame;
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!

2. Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul refreshing view
Of Jesus and His word?

3. What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left and aching void
The world can never fill.

4. Return, O holy Dove, return,
Sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
And drove Thee from my breast.

5. The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

6. So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

Lyrics: William Cowper

John 13:1-15

2012-01-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Key Observation:
In the midst of the end of Jesus’ life, He takes time to teach servanthood.

Devotion:
This chapter marks the beginning of the end. It may be surprising to see that the cross is being written about already, since chapter 13 is little more than halfway through the book, but the resurrection is central to my foundation as a Christian. Without the resurrection I have nothing, no afterlife, no anything—all of my faith rests on the resurrection, for in the resurrection Jesus has conquered sin in my behalf. I could never be sure of sufficient coverage but for the fact of the resurrection, which symbolizes the triumph of life over death, of the power of Christ over sin. Because He arose, I can know He reigns supreme, and I am certain His promises are altogether faithful. He tells me that belief in Him as the Son of God is sufficient to invoke all the power of God in my behalf, and again the resurrection is the confirmation of that power. Death could not keep my Lord—actually the Bible teaches the opposite, for it is God who demonstrates His power even over this in the resurrection.

I notice that those who are not real believers usually have little to say on the resurrection, and often they have much to say about taking away from the deity of my Lord. Be careful of those who would present to you another Jesus, other than the Bible presents. In fact, all of the gospels place a heavy emphasis on the last days of Jesus. Says McGee: “So about one-third of the gospel records deal with the last few days and place the emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” All of the writers are agreed; the amount of their writing about the resurrection is there to make us know it is a key point of Christianity. The hope of Christianity is founded on Jesus dying for our sins, and being raised again for our justification. Paul writes: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Jesus has reminded us throughout John that He lays His own life down and no man takes it from Him. Obviously men hung Him from the cross—they condemned and mocked Him. So what is Jesus saying to us here? Matthew tells us: “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Mt. 26:53) Until I realize that at every point, the sacrifice of Jesus was purely voluntary, I have no chance either of recognizing the richness of His gift, or of recognizing the power and sovereignty of our God.

And it is precisely because I see that power and sovereignty that the next action of my Lord is even more humbling. What does He do but gird Himself with towel and water, and begin washing the feet of his disciples? Most often I do not identify much with Peter, wanting to be more like what I see John to be, but in this instance I am sure I would share Peter’s feelings: “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” The utter power of the illustration floods my soul with humility, and wants to chase out the last vestiges of pride with my fellow servants. Reminded I am of Philippians 2: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, But made himself nothing.”

I wonder what a different world there might be if we all learned to love and serve like that, falling to our faces before our brothers in energetic endeavors to serve. How many more might have listened to my message, had I been more careful to exhibit the role of the servant to others? How many more might have become interested in the message of the cross if, instead of all the infighting, and divisions, and pretenses, instead we were known for being Christ-like?

I know that it is fashionable in our world to believe that God reaches every person He wants to, but that is not in accord with Scripture: “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” “For God so loved the world.” The Word also says: “And how can they hear without someone preaching to them.” Much has been said over this last verse (Romans 10), but I wonder what it would look like if I could just tweak it a bit. Is is not true that someone must preach? If that someone is hanging on pride, putting down others, and not following Christ, will non-Christians even bother to listen? As I look back over the history of Christianity, there are too many flavors of pride, selfishness, and arrogance for the flavor of the mild milk of the Word to even be tasted. We have much to answer for in our foolishness, and much humility to presently learn, if we wish to be used for revival.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102262-102263). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Up From the Grave He Arose

Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!

Refrain:
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed,
Jesus my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead,
Jesus my Lord!

Death cannot keep its Prey,
Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away,
Jesus my Lord!

Author: Robert Lowery

John 12 31 to 50

2012-01-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Key observation:
He is the light for the world, that the world might be saved.

Observation:
I see in verse 42 that there were many even among the chief rulers who believed. Maybe this is where Nicodemus comes in. What an awful dilemma! To believe and not commit out of fear of what would happen to me. Nicodemus helped with the burial of Jesus, and tried to dissuade the rulers from harming Jesus. This same Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, as it says in the third chapter. Perhaps that coming by night is why Jesus is observed to act fairly rudely to Nicodemus, belittling him because he is a ruler and “knows not these things.” I find that Jesus treats the woman of the well with more courtesy in the next chapter.

On the other hand, is it not wonderful that Jesus receives us as we are? Nicodemus was afraid of jeopardizing his position in the community, but I think Jesus takes him as he is. I still think of the grief of Nicodemus, for he might have done so much more had he made himself available to God. Contrast Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, but one who gave his position up freely to be tremendously used of God, a privilege that Nicodemus never found.

Yet still he did find some ways of helping. Nicodemus is illustrative of those Christians who are so under the radar, and out of sight of the community, lest harm come to them or their families. I do rejoice that soon the need for such secrecy will pass. For the Scripture says that all shall know the Lord, from the least to the greatest.

Here again, as I encounter so many times in John, John uses “all” and the “world” to tell us who He came for. I was delighted recently to find Calvin’s commentary on John does not try to change interpretation here. Calvin genuinely stated the proper interpretation here: “he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers. Such is also the import of the term World, which he formerly used; for though nothing will be found in the world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet he shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life.”

I have heard so many people try to defend limited atonement by changing the scripture. Those people will look at “all” and “world” and tell me that that is not really what God meant. He really meant the elect or all the elect. And so they change the Scripture, not realizing that they are opposing the very words of God. How refreshing it was for me to see that Calvin took these words on their face, and did not try to twist them to fit arranged doctrine. I do wish that more people who profess such an unlikely doctrine would at least read Calvin’s remarks on John 3.

I especially like this quote from A.W. Tozer: "will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "O Lord, Thou knowest." I do not comprehend why some people try so hard to go further than God has told us; it is simply enough for me to believe.

I have said it before, but at the risk of being redundant, will say it again. Believing the Word of God as given to us is the responsibility of every Christian. If the Bible student finds the Bible does not exactly fit his doctrine, then he should consider changing his doctrine, and not the Bible. There is nothing in our flesh that can please God; the one thing He does ask of us is that we believe. God says it; I believe it; that is all there is to it.
Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.

A.W. Tozer says this about the Word: "If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. It is more than a thing, it is a voice, a word, the very Word of the living God." To those who will find life, the Word itself will take you and carry you to places that you did not expect, and perhaps find yourself ill-prepared for. It will very likely turn your world, not upside down, but rather inside out, as you will begin to see yourself and God, not just in a new light, but as it were, in a brand new dimension. Very likely you will find yourself thinking that you are going crazy; in fact you are beginning to perceive reality for the first time. That is what happened to me. Try it out, and see where you may end up.

Calvin, John (2009-06-03). Commentary on John - Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Calvin's Commentaries) (Kindle Locations 2156-2158). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

Tozer, A.W.; Tozer, Aidan; Tozer, Aidan Wilson; Foundation Press, Christian Miracle (2011-01-31). The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer (Special Kindle Enabled Edition with Interactive Table of Contents and Built in Text to Speech Features) (Illustrated) ... | The Writings of Aiden Wilson Tozer of) (Kindle Locations 731-733). Christian Miracle Foundation Press. Kindle Edition.

Just As I Am

1. Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

2. Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

3. Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken ev'ry barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

4. Just as I am, tho' tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

5. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

6. Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Lyrics: Charlotte Elliott

John 12 19 to 31

2012-01-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Key Observation:
The voice of God speaks and some hear an angel, but many hear but thunder.

Devotion:
I am thinking of Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, particularly where the Lion speaks creation into place, and in the middle of the beautiful creation is a man incapable of hearing the animals speak. He only hears incomprehensible sounds, and can make nothing of it. So it is with those who do not have faith; they hear but they do not, and they see but all the while are blind. So it is with this passage.

I find it surprising that God’s voice does not carry through to everyone. Could it? Of course, because if God wanted that He of course would bring it about. Why then does He not? There are some who teach that God makes Himself irresistible to those whom He elects, but what does that mean? Here in this passage we find men who quite easily resist the very voice of God. In Acts 7:51, I find these very people being talked about by Stephen as he preaches, “You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit.” I find it rather convoluted that if grace be irresistible, why did God simply not rescue all men? I think theses instances of resisting, plus the multitude of warnings that we are given not to resist, show that faith is a part of our response to God. Of course God foreknows those who believe, and all of that foreknowledge, as well as any predestination, take into account the fact that people believe God.

In all of Christendom, there has never been an elect person who has not believed God. Belief and grace are intrinsically connected, and beyond the ken of this fellow to figure out. Somehow they are wrapped in a single package, and I do think many mistakes are made when we attempt to unwrap that package to try to figure out how God does it all. It should be sufficient for me to give glory to God, and to trust Him to work things out with perfect justness and perfect love.

I find myself wondering about the voice though. John, at least, heard clearly the voice of God, for he has faithfully transcribed it. Others heard something akin to an angel, while others only heard thunder. I wonder if there was a progressive state here. Had some began earnestly to consider the claims of Christ, and thus they heard an angel? Were those with the coldest hearts only able to hear thunder? Well I might say that thunder is appropriate for them—for if the heart stays cold, thunder becomes a symbol of the judgment to come.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews goes on to tell us: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto Him as righteousness. Our righteousness is contained in believing what Jesus did for us. He died that I might live. What a wonder of all of creation—that my Creator should die for me!

Down at the Cross

1. Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name.

2. I am so wondrously saved from sin,
Jesus so sweetly abides within;
There at the cross where He took me in;
Glory to His name.

3. O, precious fountain that saves from sin,
I am so glad I have entered in;
There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;
Glory to His name.

4. Come to this fountain so rich and sweet;
Cast your poor soul at the Savior's feet;
Plunge in today, and be made complete;
Glory to His name.

Chorus:
Glory to His name, Glory to His name!
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name.

Lyrics: Elisha Albright Hoffman

John 12 12 to 18

2012-01-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.
16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

Key Observation:

As these things were happening, the disciples were not comprehending that it was all part of God’s plan.

Devotion:

People are excited about Jesus and want to make Him king. Their excitement resounded from the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus, I need to remember, was dead four days, and the message of his death would have traveled throughout his community. I think the message of his being raised again would have spread even farther. I think the disciples were just caught up in the crowds and the business of the schedule, and most likely, did not piece the prophetic happenings together until later.

It is the power of these people testifying that gives credence to Jesus being King, and the Pharisees sought to stop that, not for the sake of stopping it, but because they would have been afraid, dreadfully so, of the civil authorities. Remember that Israel is a captive nation, and they have one king—that king is Caesar. If the people, in their exuberance, were to proclaim a new king, would not the whole nation be in danger of being declared in rebellion? I think it is to this end Caiaphas speaks, when he utters the immortal words that it was necessary for one man to die for the nation. There is great irony in the fact that Caiaphas never dreams for an instant that this really is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, whom the Jews are watching and waiting for.

How much of this crowd really believes Jesus to be the Son of God? I certainly do not know, and John does not seem to give much information. We do know that all throughout John there are many people following Jesus, some who evidently have genuinely life-changing faith, but also some who do not. In my town, we have a basketball team. In their winning years (of which there have been not many) people emerge with renewed excitement, and attendance goes dramatically up, and I find unexpected fans all over town. But let them go back to losing (normal?) and the fans become much harder to find. So it is, I expect, with these followers of Jesus. In just a few hours Jesus will be lifted up on the cross, and where are the crowds then? Apparently they were ready for a king, but not ready for a crucified king. Even the disciples fled away from Jesus, with only his best friend and mother, being faithful to the end.

It bothers me a great deal when I see someone profess to take Christ as their Savior, but then their life does not show much change. Year after year goes by, and except for a very small spark, I see no change. Often old lifestyles continue to be embraced and the expected changes just do not seem to happen. What am I to make of this? Sometimes I do wonder (but never know, for God alone sees the heart) if that person was saved at all.

What changes should happen to a new Christian? I am glad you asked. Lewis Sperry Chafer says this: “The ransom price has been paid for all; yet for the one who believes there is a further work of redemption which is manifested in the transforming and sanctifying power of the Spirit.” What, then, is the work of redemption that I should see?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22, 23) I should see love and joy and faith and gentleness marking the Spirit-filled believer. I am convinced the reason I do not many times has to do with the Christian never having learned the things of God. What a tragedy! I think of the parable of our Lord told about the seed. Some of it, I am told, is thrown unto hard and rocky ground, and springs up, but the sun comes and quickly withers it away.

If you find yourself lacking power in the Christian life, perhaps it is because you need to learn more of the truths of the Word. God has planted His very Spirit in you, and as you learn more about depending on Him, your walk before both man and God should start showing the fruits of the Spirit.

Lewis Sperry Chafer (2008-07-24). Salvation (p. 42). Taft Software, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Fill Me Now

1. Hover o'er me, Holy Spirit,
Bathe my trembling heart and brow;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, O come and fill me now.
2. Thou canst fill me, gracious Spirit,
Though I cannot tell Thee how;
But I need Thee, greatly need Thee,
Come, O come and fill me now.
3. I am weakness, full of weakness,
At Thy sacred feet I bow;
Blest, divine, eternal Spirit,
Fill with pow'r and fill me now.
4. Cleanse and comfort, bless and save me,
Bathe, O bathe my heart and brow;
Thou art comforting and saving,
Thou art sweetly filling now.

Chorus:
Fill me now, fill me now,
Jesus, come and fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, O come and fill me now.

Lyrics: Elwood Haines Stokes

John 12 1 to 11

2012-01-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

Key Observation:With this miracle things come quickly toward the cross.

Devotion:McGee: “It may surprise you to learn that this is the end of the public ministry of Jesus when you see that we are only near the halfway mark in the Gospel of John. His public ministry began when John the Baptist marked Him out as the Lamb of God. It concluded when He raised Lazarus from the dead. John, you see, spent almost as much time on the last forty-eight hours before His death as he did on the first thirty-two years, eleven months, three weeks, and five days of His life.”

Earlier, in reading McGee’s fine commentary on John, he said something I disagreed with. He thought that John was the gospel for believers, and cited a few examples of people who tried to evangelize through this gospel. He did not believe John was effectual to bring people to Christ. I, of course, remembered the stated purpose of John: (John 20) “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” I do believe that the gospel of John is carefully written to persuade the questioning one towards faith. At least all the way through chapter 11. Now the conversation changes, and from here to the cross, Jesus has a lot to say with very specific teaching to Christians. So at least, I would agree with McGee that much of the latter part of John is very specific teaching to those who already believe, and that is what I am on now.

Here Mary is anointing Jesus with a very expensive perfume. I need to remember why she is doing this; not only did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, Lazarus is the brother of Mary. The Scripture tells me that this takes place 6 days before the Passover, and I notice Jesus is in Bethany with Martha, her brother Lazarus is at the dinner with Jesus, and Mary chooses to anoint the feet of her Lord. Judas Iscariot complains about the wasted money, and John alone tells us that Judas wanted the money for himself. Here again I benefit from inside information that John had, and was probably not generally available. Did John know or guess about the character of Judas before the betrayal? Did John have more insight or perception about what was going on, just because he was closer to Jesus?

At any rate, Matthew does give additional information and lets me know that they were all at a house of a man known as Simon the Leper. Matthew does not specifically mention Judas as being the objector, but rather points a finger generally at the disciples. It is possible that one or more of the disciples, unaware of Judas’ coming betrayal, were in agreement generally with Judas’ objection that the money could have been given to the poor.

Mark is very similar to Matthew, with the following addition. Not only were the feet of Jesus anointed, but also was his head anointed: “She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Mark also indicates to me that this may have been the “last straw” for Judas. He was so upset that he went directly to betray Jesus to the chief priests. Evidently this is the first time Judas went to the priests; John records the second betrayal only, when Judas gets the chief priests to come to a “regular place” where Jesus met secretly with his disciples. (John 18). Luke does not tell of the anointing, but does give the extra information that Judas had made an advance deal with the chief priests, and “watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.” (Luke 22)

The order of Judas’s plan for betrayal:

John 12:4 “But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
John 12:5 “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”
Mt. 26:14 “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests
Mt. 26:15 “and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”
Mk. 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
Lk. 22:3 “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.
Lk. 22:4 “And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.”
Lk. 22:5 “They were delighted and agreed to give him money.”
Mt. 26:16 “From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
Mk 14:11 “They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
Lk. 22:6 “He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.”

Mt. 26:25 “Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’”
John 13:26 “Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.
John 13:27 “As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.”
John 18:2 “Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.

Mt. 26:36 “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over they and pray.’”
Mk. 14:32 “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’
Mt. 26:37 “He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.”
Mk 14:33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.”
John 18:1 “When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.”

Mt. 26:49 “Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.”
Mt. 26:50 “Jesus replied, ‘Friend, do what you came for.’”
Mk. 14:45 “Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him.”
Luke 22:47 “While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,
Lk. 22:48 “but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
John 18:3 “So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.”
John 18:5 “‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)

As I put this together, the idea occurs to me that Judas was embezzling money, as John lets us know (12:5), and saw more than a year’s wages being poured out in the perfume. Was Judas trying to put money back into the bag, figuring that he could hide his malfeasance, if he could just get enough coin to cover it up? Was it out of need to replenish this money that Judas went to the chief priests? I do think Judas thought he could betray Jesus, hide it from his fellow disciples, and use the money to cover his theft. Well did Jesus remind us that we cannot serve both God and mammon! Judas, weak in coveting, most likely allowed that weakness to cause a far worse crime in attempting to cover it all up.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102256-102259). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

My name is Judas
My name is Judas
My Lord I did betray
With a kiss upon his cheek
I gave my lord away
I was forgiven
But I could not bear the shame
So I hung myself in the potter's field
Judas is my name

Sung by Claire Lynch

John 11:35

2012-01-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

Jesus wept.

Key Observation:
Jesus, God in the flesh, weeps as we weep.

Devotion:
I found that I could not leave John 11 without commenting at length on the shortest verse in the Bible: Jesus wept. I turn weepy many times throughout the day; there is so much in our world that is wrong. I am convinced that as a human being, limited as I am in knowledge, that I can know only a part of the evil that goes on each day, a fact that I am thankful for. I know enough to find myself sorrowful anyway.

Imagine God’s feelings for the whole world. Does He not know what is happening throughout the world? He sees all the suffering, hears the cries of those who hurt and grieve. What a comfort it is to know that He can grieve along with me. The Scripture says that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he should turn from his ways and live? (This idea is repeated 3 times in similar refrains in Ezekiel 3, 18, and 33)I love the idea of a God who cares for me, who weeps when I weep, who sees the sorrow better and more deeply than I ever could.

The Old Testament says: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Philippians Two tells us that Jesus made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, and made in human likeness. Hebrews tells us that Jesus was “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” How precious it is to me to know that my Lord is of like passions to me—He understands at all points the grief and sorrow which is so much a part of being human.

I understand that God is our Creator, that He has established and formed us, that He knows how we are made. But I take great satisfaction in knowing that God became Man, and that becoming Man, He has like passions, and feels like I feel. As I close this devotion, I can think of the writer of “It is Well With My Soul”, Horatio Spafford, first losing a young son, his fortune in the Chicago fire, and his four daughters on a sea voyage. To find the peace of God in such a circumstance is expected; I know the Lord and I know His peace. But to know that the Lord sorrows with me in my loss is a gift greater than anything I ever expected. I can come to Him at such times, and bow my head before Him, and know that He understands and loves me, and also grieves with me.

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford

John 11 46 to 57

2012-01-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

Key Observation:
Caiaphas foretells that one person should die for the whole nation, illustrating God’s exact will being done as free and evil choices are being made by men.

Devotion:
The plan to kill Jesus is becoming sharply honed and defined. I need to remember the context when reading these verses. Having read Ezra this morning, I do remember the greatest danger to Israel again and again. Their top religious leaders were replaced frequently by the kings who had overtaken them. In some cases, the very legitimate kings of Israel were deposed by their attackers, and replaced with puppet kings. Jerusalem belonged to other nations, and at the time of Christ, belonged as a part of the Roman Empire. Those who captured Jerusalem were always to find the Jewish spirit to be unconquerable; time and again the Jewish resistance would come to fruition. Six hundred years had gone by since Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem, but Rome was going to find it necessary to destroy Jerusalem yet again. Josephus tells of over one million Jews being killed in A.D. 70, with as many as 500 per day being crucified, often in different positions to please the whims of the soldiers.

It was this kind of atmosphere that Caiaphas was speaking to; I find it marvelous that God used the very words of Caiaphas to foreshadow and predict the suffering of my Savior. Jesus laid down his life, the Bible teaches, and no one takes it from Him. Yet, the very plans of many wicked men was to do precisely that, and when I read John, I see many times when Jesus seems to escape death, only to allow Himself to be betrayed and taken at the very end.

I remember that John has shown Jesus becoming very popular; many seemed to misunderstand Jesus and wanted to make Him king, and this would be a definite problem to the Jewish leaders, interested in keeping Rome happy (probably appointees of the Romans). We are just before the triumphal entry, when Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, and evidently there were large crowds (John says “great crowd”) taking palm branches and blessing the King of Israel. Caiaphas, seeing that Rome would not allow another king, but would put down any such uprising, saw that killing Jesus would be the best way to prevent the destruction of his nation.

John adds a parenthetical verse to Caiaphas’ statement: “And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” There are many hints of Gentiles being included in the plan of God. These are the children of God that John is talking about. That means you and me. I am told that for the Jew, the word “Gentile” was a term of derision—comparable to our using “heathen” to describe a foreign people. The Jews considered all others to be heathen or Gentiles, yet there are many places in Scripture that talk about the plan of God including Gentiles. Let me list some of them:
1) Luke 14- The parable of the great banquet—“Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” We Gentiles are the poor and the crippled.
2) Acts 10- “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.”
3) Galatians 2- “On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.”
4) Zechariah 14- “The Lord will be king over the whole earth.” “And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty.” The Canaanite mentioned here is figuratively used to mean “non-Jew”. That means you and me.
5) Isaiah 11- “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”

God’s plan from the beginning was set. In Genesis 3, when man is cast out of the garden, God clothed them, Adam and Eve, with the skins of animals, thus prefiguring the blood sacrifice that Jesus was going to pay. “He shall crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” It was the plan of God all along that salvation should come to the Gentiles. Are you not glad to be included, if you be one of those who believes God? I am so thankful that He included me too!

He Included Me

I am so happy in Christ today,
That I go singing along my way;
Yes, I’m so happy to know and say,
“Jesus included me, too.”
Refrain
Jesus included me, yes, He included me,
When the Lord said, “Whosoever,” He included me;
Jesus included me, yes, He included me,
When the Lord said, “Whosoever,” He included me.
Gladly I read, “Whosoever may
Come to the fountain of life today”;
But when I read it I always say,
“Jesus included me, too.”
Refrain
Ever God’s Spirit is saying, “Come!”
Hear the Bride saying, “No longer roam”;
But I am sure while they’re calling home,
Jesus included me, too.
Refrain
“Freely come drink,” words the soul to thrill!
O with what joy they my heart do fill!
For when He said, “Whosoever will,”
Jesus included me, too.

by Johnson Oatman Jr.

John 11 17 to 45

2012-01-13T17:15:00.000-08:00

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

Key Observation:
Jesus weeps with us in our loss!

Devotion:
I notice right away that Martha has what seems to be a secret plan. She goes to Mary, and tells her that Jesus wants to see her, yet that is not substantiated by the former passage. In other words, there is a legitimate question as to whether Martha was doing something on her own, or was in collusion with Jesus against some of the people that were known to be opposed to Jesus who were at Martha and Mary’s place.

I find it intriguing to suggest the possibility that Martha felt Mary was closer to Jesus, and might therefore move Him to perform a miracle more easily. The evidence for this is found in Martha’s request, at least not directly answered by Jesus: “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” He does not directly deny her request, but rather points to the final resurrection as the one in which Martha should really be concerned. Mary nearly reiterates the request, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” It is at this point the Lord is moved to tears, and seeks out the grave.

But on consideration, I think this may be reading into the text for the following three reasons:
1) Thomas makes a statement about going to the funeral that they (the disciples and Jesus) might die with Lazarus. Most probably Thomas was swayed by the opposition that he knew they would be facing.
2) Martha came to Mary secretly, not to hide it from Jesus, but rather to tell her that her Lord had come at last. This seems to be a fact verified by Mary not telling those in her own house where she was going, but some followed her anyway, supposing that they needed to be with her in her grief.
3) In verse 46, I am told that some of the Jews went directly to the Pharisees to tell what Jesus had done; the best interpretation is that they were sympathetic to the Pharisees and against Jesus. I think it also helps explain Thomas’s remark about dying if they went to visit the home place of Lazarus.

So I think the best interpretation is that, as the Scripture plainly says, Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Evidently these three were also part of a larger circle which included people not sympathetic to Jesus or his followers. I find it humbling that God Himself would weep with me, when I am grieved with the deep grief of death of loved ones.

I cannot help but reflect on this chapter a bit more, for it represents the farthest point of my memorization in the gospel of John. As a young man, I was fascinated by the powerful teachings of this gospel, and I attempted to memorize the whole gospel. (I had been taught at Multnomah School of the Bible by the “Walking Bible”, John G. Mitchell) I look back at those younger, energetic years, and wish now I had continued with the remaining chapters. One thing I notice as an older person is that my walk with Jesus has deepened in some ways. He has been around my life for so many years, I scarcely recollect what life was like without Him. I have all of eternity to be blessed with His presence, and wish to redeem the remainder of my days wisely, walking with Him. Maybe a renewal of my memory program would be in order? I know this: planting the Word of God carefully in my heart was used frequently by God, both then and even now. God does speak through His Word, and I am thankful for the memory work that I did while yet in my first small church. I had only 80 members in that church; on a normal Sunday, we might see 40 in the service, and yet those members of that church had a profound effect on me, and I look forward to renewing my acquaintance throughout eternity.

Church In The Wildwood

1. There's a church in the valley by the wildwood,
No lovelier spot in the dale;
No place is so dear to my childhood,
As the little brown church in the vale.

2. How sweet on a clear, Sabbath morning,
To list to the clear ringing bell;
Its tones so sweetly are calling,
Oh, come to the church in the vale.

3. There, close by the church in the valley,
Lies one that I loved so well;
She sleeps, sweetly sleeps, 'neath the willow,
Disturb not her rest in the vale.

4. There, close by the side of that loved one,
To trees where the wild flowers bloom,
When the farewell hymn shall be chanted
I shall rest by her side in the tomb.

5. From the church in the valley by the wildwood,
When day fades away into night,
I would fain from this spot of my childhood
Wing my way to the mansions of light.

Chorus:
Come to the church in the wildwood,
Oh, come to the church in the dale,
No spot is so dear to my childhood,
As the little brown church in the vale.

Lyrics: William Savage Pitts

John 11 1 to 17

2012-01-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

Key Observation:
Jesus planned the death and resurrection of his friend Lazarus.

Devotion:
Jesus foreknows. It is evident from this passage that he foreknew of Lazarus’ death, and knew that He would bring glory out of it. The passage clearly tells me that Jesus loves Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Says McGee of Chapter 11: “At the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication, the whole nation was before Him. He presented Himself to the nation and He was rejected: His works were rejected in John 5:16; His words were rejected in John 8:58–59; and His Person was rejected in John 10:30–31. This chapter is a kind of intermission. His public ministry is over and He retires into a private ministry. Centering Himself on individuals, He no longer is reaching out to the nation. The events of this chapter occur between the Feast of Dedication and the Passover which would be sometime between December and April.”

Jesus is using the death of his friend to teach others. And what is He teaching? Namely that Jesus has power even over death. In Christianity alone is promised victory over death. Paul says: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Cor. 15:19) Consider for a moment the martyrs that have gone before us. This past week I have had a friend from Nigeria tell us much more than has even been put in the headlines. There are a great many brothers and sisters undergoing the worst sort of persecutions in Nigeria. Foxes’ Book of Martyrs I have never been able to complete, because it is such a graphic litany of those who have died for their faith before us. What kind of life are we leading, if not to walk with our God through eternity?

I believe that Jesus specifically uses this miracle to display His power over death, and to give us confidence that those who have gone before us have not gone in vain. What is faith? “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I do not see all the power of God in the here and now, yet I trust that He is able to completely finish the good work which was begun in me by Christ Jesus.

I have been to the two different kinds of funerals. On the one hand are funerals for believers, and on the other are funerals for those with no hope. I would much rather be with grieving folk who do not grieve as if they had no hope, but rather look by faith to what God has promised. There is nothing in my experience quite so sad as hearing the cries and lamentations from those who have no hope. I have many friends who have come to death before me, and I rejoice in our future reunion. As a young Christian I had the delightful experience of having many saints take me under their wings, help and teach and nurture me. I do miss them for they meant much to me, but I know by faith, and look forward by faith to being someday reunited with them. Oh, that will be glory for me!

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102047-102052). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

O That Will Be Glory

1. When all my labors and trials are o'er,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore
Will through the ages be glory for me.

2. When by the gift of His infinite grace,
I am accorded in Heaven a place,
Just to be there and to look on His face
Will through the ages be glory for me.

3. Friends will be there I have loved long ago;
Joy like a river around me will flow;
Yet, just a smile from my Savior, I know,
Will through the ages be glory for me.

Chorus:
O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me;
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

Lyrics: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

Summation of eleven chapters of John

2012-01-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

Summation of eleven chapters of John

1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

Key Observation:
John tells this story as proof that Jesus has power over even death.

Devotion:
Throughout the book of John, John has tried very hard to present the clear credentials of Jesus. In chapters 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, John presents Jesus as being rejected by a significant portion of the people, including the Jewish leaders. Specific examples:

Chapter 2) (v.24) “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men.”
Chapter 3) (v. 32) “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Chapter 5) (v. 46, 47) “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”
Chapter 6) (v. 26, 27) “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
Chapter 7) (v. 1) “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.”
Chapter 8) (v. 59) “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
Chapter 9) (v. 40, 41) “And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.”
Chapter 10) (v. 19,20) “There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
Chapter 11) (v. 57) “Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.”

I note that only chapter 1 and chapter 4 omit either Jesus statements of men’s lack of faith, or of the fact that many were actively opposing Jesus to the point of wanting His death. Chapter one is dealing very closely with the calling of the disciples, and I find it interesting that the Bible never states about how Judas was chosen. I know that Jesus chose him: “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (J. 6:70) But I am never told of the calling of Judas, as I am told of the calling of John, Peter, Andrew, and Bartholomew. Jesus says he called Judas, knowing that Judas would betray Him. At any rate, chapter 1 deals with the calling of his disciples. Curiously chapter 4 also is very positive, teaching about the calling of the one-half Jewish people, the Samaritans. I think this is a way that John has that is of further shame to the Jews, since Jesus found a favorable reception from the Samaritans, even to the point of being asked to stay extra time, and because of it, the Word says: (v. 41) “And because of His words many more became believers.” In a way, perhaps the first chapter might also be viewed as an insult to the Jewish leaders because of the station in life of those chosen. Who did Jesus choose? Fishermen! Tradesmen, and a tax-collector too! It is only the last apostle chosen, and not in the gospels at all, that we find a Pharisee, the recognized religious leaders of the day. Saul of Tarsus, as educated and smart as he was (Some scholars recognize in Paul one of the ten best minds in all of history), was the only Pharisee, and was not chosen until after the ascension.

But it is also a fact that John emphasizes the many who have believed:

Chapter 1- (v. 49) Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.”
Chapter 2- (v. 23) “Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.”
Chapter 3- (v. 23) “. . . because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.”
Chapter 4- (v. 41) “And because of his words many more became believers.”
Chapter 5- no example
Chapter 6- no example
Chapter 7- (v. 41) “Others said, ‘He is the Christ.’”
Chapter 8- (v. 30) “Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.”
Chapter 9- (v. 38) “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him.
Chapter 10- (v. 42) “And in that place many believed in Jesus.”
Chapter 11- (v. 45) “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.”

In conclusion, what I see from this short study is that there were two movements going on. One, opposed to Jesus, opts to kill him. The other movement was a genuine movement of faith in the Son of God, and it moved from the uncertain remark at the end of chapter 2, to the very positive statements at the end of chapters 10 and 11. Many of the people sought to kill Jesus; many also received him as the Son of God, the Savior of the World.

At the Cross

1. Alas, and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sov'reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

2. Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!

3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut His glories in,
When Christ the mighty Maker died
For man, the creature's sin.

4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
While Calvary's cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

5. But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do.

Chorus:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Lyrics: Isaac Watts; Chorus: Ralph Erskine Hudson

John 10 31 to 42

2012-01-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42 And many believed on him there.

Key Observation:
The Jews again sought to kill Jesus because He claimed equality with God.

Devotion:
The Jews saw clearly that Jesus was claiming to be God. (v. 33) Jesus actually sets up a small argument, saying that we are all called gods. But then He leads back to the main point, saying that He is accused of blasphemy because He said: 1) the Father sanctified me, 2) the Father sent me into the world, and 3)I said I am the Son of God.

The leaders could not see the forest for the trees in front of their face. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord. These were not His sheep, and therefore they did not hear Him. McGee adds this great insight into a sheepfold:

“When I was near Bethlehem, I spent some time looking over a sheepfold that was still in use. A sheepfold is an enclosure where shepherds put their sheep for the night. The porter has charge of it. Then the shepherd spends the night in his own bed. When he comes to the sheepfold in the morning, his sheep are all mixed up with somebody else’s sheep—there is no brand or marking on the sheep. How does he get the sheep that are his? He calls them by name. The sheep don’t have to be identified; they know their shepherd’s voice. When he starts out over the hill, his own sheep come out of the fold and follow him. They know him. Our Lord says, “The sheep will follow him because they know his voice.””

I know His voice. Is He calling you today? I know there are many fights among Christians today saying you are chosen, or elected of God. I answer those people that I do not understand how God does it, but this is plain. “He that comes to me I will in no way cast out.” How do I know you are the elect? Because there has never been one who has come to Jesus who is not also the very elect of God. I do not know how He does it. I just see Him doing it—saving people who are coming to Him. Every one. The word of our Lord is on it, and you can count it sure, that if you come, believing God and His Son, you will also be one of the elect. And when you come, you will find that your salvation does not depend on you, it depends on Him. That’s right where we should want it!

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101852-101857). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Softly and Tenderly

1. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He's waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

2. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

3. Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, death's night is coming,
Coming for you and for me.

4. O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Chorus:
Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Lyrics: Will Lamartine Thompson

John 10 15 to 30

2012-01-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.

Key Observation:
We are chosen sheep, and we are known because we hear the Shepherd’s voice.

Devotion:
Equality with the Father is what Jesus is claiming here. It is nothing new, for He claimed equality many times before, but it does seem obvious to me that John wants us to know his Lord and his best friend claimed equality with God. At the end of chapter eight the Jews were ready to stone Jesus because they recognized that He claimed to be “I am” or Jehovah God. In this chapter He claims that He and the Father are one.

There was disagreement among them; some insisted that He could not be demon possessed, and that He was from God. Jesus stirred up controversy, just as His name does even today. Many in our society insist on calling Jesus, along with other religious leaders, a good teacher. But that is not going far enough. I think many here did not want to ascribe to Jesus demon possession; rather they wanted to give Him something more, because He had healed a blind man. But they were not ready to say that Jesus was God come in the flesh, and Jesus tells them plainly that they did not hear His testimony because they were not His sheep.
Notice the duality of responsibility. First, no one shall pluck them out of Jesus’ hand. Second, no one will pluck them out of the Father’s hand. Both are true! The Triune God works in my behalf to insure that I am saved. I know I am saved because first, I have the Spirit of God inside me given as a gift. Second I know I am saved because Jesus declares that He securely holds on to me. And third, lest there be any doubt, I am saved because the Father has secured me. Who shall pluck me from God’s hand? Neither angels, nor principalities, nor any man shall be able to separate me from God.

Again, Jesus tells us plainly that He is laying His life down for us. No man put Jesus on the cross; instead Jesus went as a willing sacrifice that I might have life. Three times in this passage Jesus lets us know He is laying down His life, and no man takes it from Him. He says He has other sheep not of this fold. Who was He talking about? He was talking about me—and you, if you are not a Jew. He came first to Israel, but now that His own people are rejecting Him, He is extending the offer to all of the world. But even as the offer is to the whole world, He knows His sheep; they are the ones who hear His voice.

Listen closely. Can you hear the voice of God speaking to you? It is not often an audible voice, but rather a voice that speaks to the inner self, bearing quiet but firm testimony of Himself. Reading the gospel of John is a good place to start hearing his voice. May God open Your eyes so that you may see, and open your ears so that you may hear. And hearing, that you may also believe. For the same God that tells us that we are separated out by the Father, also tells us that he that comes to me I will in no way cast out. The gospel is open to all, but only if you are willing to listen.

Voice Of My Savior

I heard a sweet voice so tenderly calling
Saying arise be saved evermore
And I knew it must be the voice of my Savior
For I had not heard a voice like it before
I remember one night in an old fashioned meeting
I was praying to God to redeem my poor soul
When I heard the sweet voice of my lovin' Savior
And I started that night to make heaven my home
I'm glad that I heard the voice of my Savior
I know I'm redeemed by his wonderful grace
Someday when he calls I'll go up to Heaven
And then in that city I'll look on His face

Version:
Jimmy Martin

Thoughts on this morning’s sermon, 01/08/12

2012-01-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

01/08/12

We are made in the image of God. Down through the ages, good men have given different definitions of what it means to have been made in the image of God, and just how badly sin corrupted that image. I do know that sin corrupted me completely, and that, but for the grace of God, I would have no opportunity of ever redeeming that image, since all that I seek to achieve and do in life is from my sin nature.

God somehow sees that sin nature, but also sees past it, perhaps to the image He placed there to begin with, and has chosen to offer us redemption. Spurgeon tells a story about John Newton, who saw it differently: “John Newton used to tell a whimsical story and laugh at it, too, of a good woman who said, in order to prove the doctrine of Election—“Ah, Sir, the Lord must have loved me before I was born, or else He would not have seen anything in me to love afterwards.”” I laugh at such a tale, and there is a great deal of truth in it. But, I ask, why did the Lord love me? It is not because of any goodness in me, for Romans teaches me that there is nothing good. I do want to suggest that God saw fit to rescue that which He made, and perhaps, I suggest it was in part because He had made us in His image.

But, if I look ahead, somehow all of the past becomes eclipsed by what is coming. The inheritance which is promised to me is greater than anything I could envision. What then are the chief characteristics of this inheritance?
1) I have been given the Holy Spirit. Not just a piece of the Holy Spirit, but in a glorious sense in which I can barely understand, I have God indwelling me. What a gift! It is a gift for all of eternity, and I daresay to have Him filling up all of me not only changes me now, but after I have been made like Him, will leave me with a nature that no longer struggles with God, but becomes perfectly what God desires me to be.
2) I will spend the rest of eternity with Jesus, some say at his feet. But Jesus lifts our estate: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known unto you.” (Jn. 15) To be truthful with you, I figure my place to be near the back in heaven, and my job, which I will be something like shoveling out sewers, because I deem myself scarcely worthy to serve Him in the least capacity. But Jesus terms me his “friend”. What a glorious estate that will be—whatever I am given to do.
3) I have a place specially prepared for me by Jesus himself. (John 14:2) God loves me so much that He has prepared something special for me, tailored to what I will need to glorify and worship my God in every way. If I suffer with Him, says the Scripture, then will I also be glorified with Him.
4) My old nature will pass away, having been put to death once for all by His crucifixion and resurrection. Temporally speaking that happens when I receive my new body, when the trumpet of God sounds, and the voices of the archangels call me from the four corners of the earth. Behold, all things are become new!
5) I will live forever. My friends, forever is not a long time—it is more than that. We step into eternity, walking by the side of Jesus, being filled with the Spirit, and spending our eternity giving thanks to the Father who has made us. Can my inheritance be any richer? O death where is thy victory? (1 Cor. 15:52)
6) I will be at the wedding supper of the Lamb. (Rev. 19) When Christ returns to earth he will bring us back with Him. I believe that the bread and the cup that the church has been passing around is a commemoration of the cross and in a sense, the rehearsal dinner for what is to come. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”
Walvoord, in his commentary on Revelation gives this important background to the wedding feast: “Though marriage customs varied in the ancient world, usually there were three major aspects: (1) The marriage contract was often consummated by the parents when the parties to the marriage were still children and not ready to assume adult responsibility. The payment of a suitable dowry was often a feature of the contract. When consummated, the contract meant that the couple were legally married. (2) At a later time when a couple had reached a suitable age, the second step in the wedding took place. This was a ceremony in which the bridegroom accompanied by his friends would go to the house of the bride and escort her to his home. This is the background of the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. (3) Then the bridegroom would bring his bride to his home and the marriage supper, to which guests were invited, would take place. It was such a wedding feast that Christ attended at Cana as recorded in John 2:1-12.”
That is a beautiful picture of the church being married to the Lord. The marriage contract was made at our conversion, if not earlier. The marriage takes place when we are lifted up to heaven. Finally we go to Jerusalem, where the marriage supper is given as the bride, or the church, is brought to the bridegroom’s home.
7) Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Lord will make a new place for me called “The New Jerusalem”. I will be with Him forever!

These seven things I found out in a short Bible study. Being made in His image has a double meaning for those of us who have been reborn. We were created in His image, and then we are reborn in His image. In my study of the gospel of John, I do find the Triune God invests Himself mightily in me. Who am I that God should care for me? The evidence points to a rich estate that God has given me, that is without measure, and above and beyond all my expectations. If I truly have my eyes on Him nothing should dissuade me for proclaiming Jesus.

Elsewhere I said:
“I need to remember that I have the highest standing before God, but my calling is from the lowest station. Woe unto me for I am a captive of sin (my station), and yet I have cause for much joy as I am cleansed of all my sin, and called to live with the holy God himself (my standing). I am determined this day to answer this highest calling to pursue my standing rather than my station.”

Of interest to me are the 7 beatitudes of Revelation:
1) Rev. 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
2) Rev. 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
3) Rev. 16:15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
4) Rev. 19:9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
5) Rev. 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
6) Rev. 22:7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
7) Rev. 22:14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

Walvoord, John (1989-03-01). The Revelation of Jesus Christ (p. 271). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-04-15). Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855 (Kindle Locations 330-332). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

Walvoord, John (1989-03-01). The Revelation of Jesus Christ (p. 336). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

John 10 7 to 14

2012-01-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Key Observation:
Jesus explains what a good Shepherd is.

Devotion:
Every time that John gives me a ‘verily, verily’ I need to pay close attention to what Jesus is saying. He says: “I am the gate for the sheep.” Notice His comment about the gate: He is the gate, and later He tells us that he who comes in by another way is not one of His sheep. There are many false teachers who do somehow seem to get in the sheepfold; the sheep should know His voice and follow Him. We see a lot of popular TV preachers, not, I am afraid, unlike the TV evangelists of the 80s that got exposed as fraudulent. Some of today’s TV preachers are fraudulent, and each one should be tested to see whether they follow the Word or not.

Thank God for Billy Graham. His marks of humility, and unwillingness for any to besmirch his reputation led him to avoid all gloss and glitter, and to walk circumspectly so to avoid getting the wrong reputation. Those who are following God should likewise be marked by the same humility. Christianity is marked singularly by its fundamental allegiance to the Bible, and it is only against the template of the Word that I will be able to discern those who are truly His sheep. When I look at the church today, part of what I find so appalling is the lack of dependence on Scripture. People simply are not reading their Bibles. This morning I watched a short movie offered by my pastor, telling of a tribe of people who were receiving Bibles for the first time in their own tongue. Many in the tribe were simply overwhelmed to the point of tears gushing down their cheeks, weeping for the privilege of having God’s word. Many of the older saints had spent their lives memorizing, not verses, but entire chapters of the Word of God. When I compare that to America, where we average many Bibles per household, but where I see so little allegiance or knowledge of the Word, it frightens me for the next generation. Without God’s Word acting as our signposts we will follow any of the many thieves that break in to steal and destroy.

There are some encouraging signs that I see. I see my children eagerly following God, and carrying along others of their age groups along with them. I see my children’s children growing and caring about the things of God, and many others of their age groups along with them. But I am mindful of what I have been taught: that we are but one generation from extinction, that if we older folks do not successfully pass along the traditions that we were supposed to, that we will not see America holding to its spiritual truths at all.

I think of my father’s generation; the great generation that gave the sacrifice of their lives for my freedom, but I think today’s children, growing up, do not appreciate at all. My father essentially followed the Christian code of right and wrong, and tried hard to pass those thoughts along to me. But the problem was that my father did not know Christ, and thus the principles he tried so hard to impart to me, became principles that I questioned. When I was saved as a young man, one of the pieces of life’s puzzle which dropped into place, was that God has ordered our lives, and that as we follow Him, we breed prosperity for ourselves and our country.

I see a great need for today’s generation to be brought back to the Bible. I see a great need for us to pull closely to Christ, to be changed by His Spirit, to be transformed by the renewing of His Word to us. My prayer is for revival, that the Mighty Spirit of God may rekindle His flame in us, that we may yet live to see another great awakening for America.

Revive Us Again

1. We praise Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died and is now gone above.

2. We praise Thee, O God, for Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior and scattered our night.

3. All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins and hath cleansed ev'ry stain.

4. Revive us again fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.

Chorus:
Hallelujah, Thine the glory!
Hallelujah! Amen!
Hallelujah, Thine the glory!
Revive us again.

Lyrics: William Paton Mackay
Music: John Jenkins Husband

John 10 1 to 6

2012-01-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

Key Observation:
The sheep hear His voice; in the deep mystery of election and choice I am told I will hear His voice, and I will follow Him.

Devotion:
Back in the first chapter of John, Jesus bade the disciples to follow Him, and to a man, they dropped whatever they were doing, being it fishing or following John the Baptist, and they followed Him. I can think of no other explanation than what is being said in this passage: “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls them by name and leads them out.”
Spurgeon has some wise words on what I have called the balance of scripture; he himself is a Calvinist, but he makes a distinction between himself and what he terms hyper-Calvinism:

“The system of truth revealed in the Scriptures is not simply one straight line, but two; and no man will ever get a right view of the gospel until he knows how to look at the two lines at once. For instance, I read in one Book of the Bible, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Yet I am taught, in another part of the same inspired Word, that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." I see, in one place, God in providence presiding over all, and yet I see, and I cannot help seeing, that man acts as he pleases, and that God has left his actions, in a great measure, to his own free-will.”

In Scripture I am always presented with the contradictory truths—they are not always contradictory, but they seem frequently so. God gives us to Jesus, and all that the Father gives Jesus will come to Him and He will never drive me away. But the same Scripture that declares this sovereign elect, also commands us to believe, and not to resist the voice of God, neither the conviction of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 7:51, Hebrews 4:7)

On the sheepfold, McGee says:

“I believe that you can fool some of God’s people some of the time, but I don’t think you can fool God’s people all the time. For a time, God’s sheep may think they hear Him but eventually discover that it is not His voice. Then they will turn to the teaching of the Word of God because they know their Shepherd. It is amazing. I have been teaching the Word of God for about forty years and have learned again and again that when His sheep hear His voice, they will follow Him.”

As I study history, I see many “almost” believers, and they are usually very easy to identify. They seem to have a knack for looking at Scripture, and finding something that you or I would never see. I think it is because they do not hear the voice of God. They have always been present in American history, and their presence even lingers into today. How do I know those who are his sheep? Nothing can be easier; just walk shoulder to shoulder with the person, and watch them to see what fruit they are producing. Are they engaged in the bountiful harvest of our Lord? Are they teaching in accord with Scripture? Is their Scripture subject to only their own special interpretation? If they do not hear the voice of their Shepherd, they cannot teach others aright, and will only lead them astray.

Balance of the Word of God is important; before I accept the latest book on religion I need to compare it diligently to the Word of God. If it strays from the Word, it does not pass the test. In our country today there is a fundamental ignorance of the Word of God. Most Americans have never read the Bible through cover-to-cover, much less know the doctrines in it. I do not see how they can possibly test false teaching. Perhaps that is the reason I see such a resurgence in the growth of cults. How do I tell a cult? A cult will inevitably try to distort the Biblical picture of who Jesus is. After all, if I become so confused that I call my next door neighbor Jesus, and then say, Believe on Jesus and you shall be saved, how then will I be saved? Have I not distorted severely the picture of who Jesus is? Jesus, the Bible tells me, is the son of God, the Word made Flesh, the “I am”, coequal with the Father. Any cult will try to tell me differently, and if I am one of His sheep, I should know the voice of my Shepherd.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101864-101867). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 191-194). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It

1. Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed thro' His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.

2. Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.

3. I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

Chorus:
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
His child and forever I am.

Lyrics: Frances Jane (Fanny J.) Crosby

John 9 35 to 41

2012-01-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Key Observation:
Jesus reveals Himself as both the one to give sight and the one to blind.

Devotion:
I think Jesus is arguing here that if the Pharisees were to admit their blindness, that is confess that they could not see, that in that confession would be the beginnings of real sight. The Pharisees started off on the wrong foot; they insisted that they had the spiritual sight, and thus, they remained blind. Irony is replete throughout chapter 9, that a man who was blind should be given sight, and the great spiritual leaders of the nation, who should have seen the Christ, were but as blind fools.

I find a curious parallel to election in this passage. Did Jesus not seek out the former blind man? Did Jesus not reveal his identity to the former blind man? But did not also the blind man believe? I see man’s response to the sovereign election of God here. I think it is precisely here where the Pharisee’s become blind. For did they not see the same miracle? Did they not validate the miracle by following the blind man home, and checking with neighbors and parents? And did they believe? The answer is in Acts 7:51, “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit.”

“Unless I go away, the Counselor will no come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” So I see from this passage that it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict the world. Is it not the fault of these Pharisees who resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and doom themselves to the judgment?

John 3:17 tells me that Jesus came not to condemn the world. Jesus came not to condemn, but rather to save. I think that speaking of Adam and his sin, it is evident that condemnation was already come upon the world, and Jesus came like a breath of fresh pure air, to remove all that condemnation, if we will but believe. The same passage in John reminds me that “men loved darkness for their deeds were evil.” The enigma which I cannot fathom is the greatness of God is so much greater than all of our choices, for evil or for good. In plotting and trying to rid the world of Jesus, the Bible clearly says: “they did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”

Psalm 2 talks about the rulers of the earth gathering together against the Lord, against his Anointed One. Nearly 3,000 years ago, I believe that God is foreshadowing the rise of the nations against Israel. Nations will gather, and will try to seize the land of Israel, and imagine in their vain plotting that they have sufficient strength to bring their plans to fruition. What does Psalm 2 say? “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” My friend, there is no way that we can ever devise or plan or bring about something that the Lord does not foreknow. He will not be surprised on that day, or any other. The only question is will you be surprised on that day? This is what will happen beginning in Israel, but spreading outward throughout the world: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child.” (Zech. 12:10)

“Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 10:7) Which are you, like the blind man that now has two sights, or like the religious guides that found themselves blind, because they hardened their hearts?

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

1. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

2. Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

3. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide
Whiter than snow you may be today.

4. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Chorus:
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within,
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Lyrics: Julia Harriet Johnston

John 9 18 to 34

2012-01-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

Key Observation:
Those who should have been leaders for accepting the Christ were opposed to Him.

Devotion:
The Jewish leaders acted despicably. They went to the parents with unbelief in their hearts: “whom ye say was born blind”. They tried to trap the parents into saying something actionable, but their wisdom (and perhaps God) kept them from replying. Instead they directed them towards their son.

The blind man, now seeing, is also on the edge of saving belief in the Messiah. At this point he does not yet recognize Jesus as anything except coming from God. His reasoning is that since He worked an impossible miracle, and the man who had been blind was convinced that He must be from God.

The Jewish leaders, blind and in far worse condition than the blind man had ever been, claimed to be followers of Moses. In a way, Jesus had answered this question already, for at the end of chapter eight He claims that Abraham saw his day and rejoiced. Now the Jews are aligning themselves with a patriarch almost as great as Abraham. But what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. It also says “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” It is faith that is the substance by which God justifies us. There is no work which we may do that justifies us in His sight; He does everything, and the only thing He has given to us it to trust Him, to believe Him. Would that the Jewish leaders had reacted with faith; instead they reacted with laws and codes that are dead without Christ to uphold them.

Faith is defined in the Bible thus: (Hebrews 11) “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It is a simple act, one in which you decide that you will believe God, and it has been used of God to bring His saints to Himself for thousands of years. This new year maybe, just maybe, ought to be marked as one in which you begin trusting and believing God. A good place to find out about the Son of God is the book of John. Why not start today?

Faith Is the Victory

1. Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise,
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below,
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.

2. His banner over us in love,
Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith they, like whirlwind's breath,
Swept on o'er ev'ry field;
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.

3. To him who overcomes the foe
White raiment shall be giv'n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav'n.
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame;
We'll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus' conq'ring name.

Chorus:
Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
Oh, glorious victory
That overcomes the world.

Lyrics: John Henry Yates
Music: Ira David Sankey

John 9 8 to 17

2012-01-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

Key Observation:
The Pharisees were more concerned about breaking the Sabbath than giving a man sight.

Devotion:
Legalism pervaded the culture; notice how the neighbors inquired about the man, ascertaining that Jesus had done this on the Sabbath. So concerned were they with this breaking of the Law, that they went to the Pharisees. But even among the Pharisees there was sharp division. Evidently some were able to look beyond the Sabbath to what actually Jesus was doing, for they thought the miracles bespoke of someone come from God.

No man comes to me except the Father draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. We cannot come to God on our own; grace is required to show the blind what they cannot see. Some whom God was calling were evidently in the mix; the others were “just like your fathers, always resisting the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51) I do believe the grace of God is resistible, for the Scripture thus says. Many warnings does Jesus give to warn men of their wickedness. “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” (John 8:24) “I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?” (John 8:45) On the day of the last judgment, God, completely righteous, will be able to judge men because they would not believe the Son, neither the message of the Son.

I notice the blind man has not come all the way; perhaps what he saw he was unable to synthesize as yet, and he merely states that he thinks Jesus to be a prophet. Also possible is the interpretation that the man was unwilling to confess the Messiah before the Pharisees. Even confessing Jesus to be a prophet was enough to get the man thrown out of the synagogue, because later the man indeed confesses, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” In any case, Jesus reveals himself as the Son of man, the Messiah, and the man chooses to believe.

I Know Whom I Have Believed

1. I know not why God's wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

2. I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

3. I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus thro' the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

4. I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I'll walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Chorus:
But 'I know whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that day.'

Lyrics: Daniel Webster Whittle
Music: James McGranahan

John 9

2012-01-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Key Observation:
Here is a case of “predestinated” illness specifically said to be for the glory of God.

Devotion:
As I read this event I am reminded of the Old Testament story of Naaman. (2 Kings 5) A young captive girl from Israel tells of Elisha, and claims that he would be able to heal the commander. The commander of the army speaks to his king, the king of Aram, and the king writes a letter to the king of Israel. Elisha refuses to even see the commander, merely telling him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. The commander is indignant at the suggestion, but decides to humble himself and do as the prophet directed. Curiously, the healed commander decides to worship the one true God, and declares that to Elisha as well. I wonder how many people God has directed to himself over the years, and further wonder if this is faith unto salvation or not. The Bible simply does not tell us, but we know from Scripture that many people from other nations did believe in the God of Israel.

In any case, Jesus washes the man’s eyes with his own spit mixed with dirt, but then the man is told to wash in a pool of water. It is, of course, a Sabbath day. It seems to me like Jesus did healings very frequently on the Sabbath days, perhaps deliberately to provoke the Jewish leaders. I must keep in mind that in these passages it is Jesus who retains control of those around him. At the end of the last chapter, did not the Jewish leaders take up stones, and yet Jesus walked through them unhurt. “I lay down my life,” and “no man takes it from me.” Jesus foreknew the heart of Judas long before his betrayal, and Psalm 109 foretells of the one who is to betray his God.

I am the light of the world. In healing the blind man, Jesus is able to use the healing to point yet again to Himself as the light of the world. The night comes when no man can work. I wonder when this time is. I understand that many places in our world deny anyone even the possibility of speaking the name of Jesus. Is that the darkness? I might think the Lord was speaking of the time of Jacob’s trouble—the tribulation—but even in the tribulation, there are witnesses, and evidently a great multitude saved.

I find it really interesting that people today are still treating Jesus in the same manner. Many countries around the world routinely persecute Christians, sometimes even killing them. Our own country, famous around the world for allowing religious freedom, is not by any standard, as accommodating to Christianity as it formerly was. But the most ludicrous position Americans tend to take about Jesus is that He was a good teacher. If He was but a teacher, then passages like this one would be morally repugnant, and not from a “good teacher’ at all. Here He is teaching that He is the Light of the world, and the Lord of the Sabbath, claims that any American can decry as demented or inspired, but the third option of being a good teacher is simply not logical. Thus it is a fundamentally irrational position, and is frequently coupled with a works attitude for salvation.

I have heard many Americans allude to the balance scales of justice, where God weighs our good acts against our bad acts, and, if necessary, perhaps the person of Jesus might grant us a “fudge factor” where God can overlook our really bad stuff. Nothing is further from the truth. The Bible tells us that in God’s sight, all our righteousness is as filthy rags. It says: there is none good, no, not one. When I come to Jesus, I am coming to the great Light, out of a darkness so dark, so full of void, that I had no chance whatever of producing any act pleasing to God. Jesus is not just a “fudge factor”; He is everything to my salvation and without Him I am completely rejected in total darkness.

Someone might say that he needs the touch of the master physician’s hand; my own analogy is stronger, for I say that I am like unto the man with a severe heart attack. I am on the gurney, with my heart stopped, and only the most dire emergency procedures from the doctor has any hope of helping me. If I am under the Physician’s care, then I must realize my dire straits, know that I am dead, and hope is fading fast. You see, sin has completely and totally cut me off from the presence of God, and there is but one remedy—faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for me as the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the savior of mankind. Keep me away from the balance scales, for there is no way that I could ever pass muster as my bad acts have totally been behind all of my behavior. That is to say that even on my best days, doing my best acts, apart from the grace of God, I am found to be totally in rebellion to God. Only the Master Physician can save me, and only giving His own life was payment enough to satisfy the justice of God. Through His mercy I have life, and have it abundantly!

I Know Whom I Have Believed

1. I know not why God's wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

2. I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

3. I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus thro' the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

4. I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I'll walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Chorus:
But 'I know whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that day.'

Lyrics: Daniel Webster Whittle
Music: James McGranahan

John 8 51 to 59

2012-01-02T15:09:00.001-08:00

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Key Observation:
Jesus claims to be the “I am”.

Devotion:
Amen, amen, I say unto you. With these words, John signals what the Lord is going to say is very very important. The Jewish leaders had just insinuated that Jesus was of illegitimate birth, and this is an important part of the reply of Jesus. He tells us that God is his father, yet He claims so much more. The great “I am” name is the holiest name for God that the Jews knew, and Jesus is claiming the “I am” status.

I first encounter the “I am” name in Exodus, when Moses is talking to God. “Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” I think the Jewish mind would automatically go back to this chapter when they heard the claim of Jesus, and not believing the claim of Jesus, they were convinced they were hearing the highest of blasphemy.

Of course, they were not hearing blasphemy at all, but rather the truth, but they had not ears to hear. Instead they reached down automatically for stones, for their minds were filled with loathing towards the very One who could save them. The One who has been self existent throughout eternity, the One who was there in the beginning, the One before which all men will one day appear. That ONE, the great “I am” has said, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.” If I am to find life at all, it is by believing that Jesus is who He said he was. The book of John is a fine place to find out about Jesus, the Savior of the world. Why not start reading there now?

Crown Him With Many Crowns

1. Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! how the heav'nly anthem drowns
All music but its own;
Awake my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Thro' all eternity.

2. Crown Him Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save;
His glories now we sing
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

3. Crown Him the Lord of peace,
Whose pow'r a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
And all be pray'r and praise:
His reign shall know no end,
And round His pierced feet
Fair flow'rs of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.

4. Crown Him the Lord of love;
Behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me:
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Thro'out eternity.

Lyrics: Verses 1, 2, 4: Matthew Bridges; Verse 3: Godfrey Thring
Music: George Job Elvey

John 8 41 to 50

2012-01-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

Key Observation:
Here the Jewish leaders attack the birth of Jesus, insinuating Him to be born of fornication.

Devotion:
Jesus is claiming divine birth; the Jews look at his two parents and assume Jesus was illegitimate. I sense Jesus was very angry at this point—the Jewish leaders were heaping accusations upon Jesus, and Jesus, being God, is able to exhibit both wrath and judgment that I could never divinely do. Here I think of Mary, the one who had to endure the shame and scorn of being assumed to be naught but a fornicator all of her married life, which is now over 30 years. There are many who engage in Mariolotry, which is the making of Jesus’ mother to be divine, which she was not. But the Bible is very clear: here is the mother of God, and she will be accorded great respect throughout eternity for both her honor in bringing Jesus into the world and her endured scorn for doing so.

Some early commentators, I was surprised to learn, maintain the virginity of Mary continued after the birth of Jesus, and so try to reinterpret the Scriptures, telling us that the brothers of Jesus mentioned are merely relatives. Beware of those who reinterpret Scripture, for they wrest the Word to their own downfall! The best understanding of the Scripture was the Joseph and Mary did marry, and have normal relationships, which ended quite naturally in half-siblings for Jesus. At one point in the Scripture, some commentators feel that His family came to take Him away, perhaps feeling that He was crazy to be uttering the foolish things He was saying. (Matt. 12: 47, “Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside to speak to you.” His terse reply, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “ Here are my mother and my brothers.” Did Jesus reply thus because His mother and brothers were trying to whisk Him out of the limelight and the danger? I do not know, but it is possible.
Jesus does know the end of those speaking to Him, and He is quite pointed in His response, “You are of your father the devil, and the works of your father you will do.”
One of the tests of being a follower of Jesus is that when one hears the gospel, he turns and begins to follow Jesus. He that hears God’s words is of God. He that hears not is not of God. Interestingly, I can think of instances where instant hearing was not a good sign. Was not Saul of Tarsus hearing the Word preached, even as he continued in his persecution of the church? In fact, after Saul’s conversion, after he became a new creature, Paul, many in the church had to have divine revelation before they would even assist this well-known persecutor.

I take that to mean that when I see others turn aside the gospel, or even belittle it, that that does not mean they are not going to change their minds later. I can pray for such people, and indeed, am obligated to, for I have not the prescience of Jesus that I should know who will reject Him and who will not. I do know that I prayed and waited for over 30 years for the Lord to finally bring my father to the place where he heard the gospel, and accepted Christ. I, then, am to be long-suffering toward others, modeling myself after the attitude of God, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth.

Go Tell It on the Mountain

1. While shepherds kept their watching
O'er silent flocks by night
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

2. The shepherds feared and trembled
When, lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior's birth.

3. Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.

Chorus:
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

John 8 31 to 40

2011-12-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

Key Observation:
Freedom is only possible through knowing Jesus as Savior.

Devotion:
If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed. So begins this passage. One of the more difficult things for me to understand is perseverance. I understand the concept nicely: “He that has begun a good work in you will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ.” And: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.” Conceptually, doctrinally I have not a problem one with the doctrine.

But it is in the practice, or the experience of what I see that the difficulties arise. For I am mindful also of the verse that says, “they went out from us because they were really not of us.” When does one leave off and the other begin? Of course I cannot look inside the heart and perceive the heart of man, so there are many times when I find myself wondering which is it, and how do I tell? I have personally given the gospel to people, watched them grow, but then also watched them fall away. There is a doctrine out there that says God will always bring them back, but that is frankly more than I can see, either from Scripture or from experience. This is not saying that I have not seen God bring many back, rather it is the few that He hasn’t that I find confusing. There are times when I just do not know.

I am thinking of two verses which seem somewhat oppositional: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (2 Tim.) I realize that Paul was speaking of two different circumstances here. He was obviously speaking to two different thoughts here. The first I take to be a quote from one of the gospels, the words of the Lord, that if we continue to deny him, he will also deny us before the Father, and thus we would be lost. The second is a bit of a conundrum. Matthew Henry confuses the issue by quoting a verse way out of context, a verse I believe written specifically for Christians about the wrath, or tribulation of God. “The elect are designed to obtain salvation: God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation.”

I can see the interpretation of this verse in two ways: 1) First, Paul seems to be talking about enduring hardships, and perhaps he then means that those of us that fall to the side out of grieving over hardship, will find God faithful, for He cannot deny himself. 2) Second, Paul could be talking about belief unto salvation, and God, remaining faithful to His word, will not deny Himself and will bring judgment.

Of the two, I am inclined to say the first is more likely correct. In our history, there are many saints that have remained faithful to the end, but there are also saints who gave in to pressure or torture, and could not find the strength to endure hardship. With this interpretation, what a comfort to know God expects not perfection from us, and is faithful anyway.

Whosover commits sin is the servant of sin. I understand the depravity of man to mean that I am lost totally from God, unable to even understand righteousness, and have nothing of mine that can stand before Him. Many times I have heard others say that God will weigh their works, and perhaps He will fudge a bit, but somehow they will come out alright and be allowed into heaven. This is absolutely against what the Bible teaches. There are none righteous, no not one, teaches Paul in Romans. All come short of the glory of God. If I am depending on my own works to get into heaven, as the young folks say, “It ain’t happinin”.
But I can depend on the works of God. Jesus was the propitiation for my sins, and not for mine only, but for those of the whole world. By simply believing Jesus, and in what He accomplished for the world, I can be cleaned, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8,9) I take not the balance scale to heaven; instead I take the cross, and the resurrection which happened afterwards. If God should ask me one day, “ Why should I let you into my heaven?”, my only reply will be, “Because your Son died for my sins”. It is the only way I will ever find justification before God, and the fool who depends on the balance scale of good and bad to present to God is dooming himself to judgment.

He Is Able to Deliver Thee

1. 'Tis the grandest theme through the ages rung;
'Tis the grandest theme for mortal tongue;
'Tis the grandest theme that the would e'er sung,
"Our God is able to deliver thee."

2. 'Tis the grandest theme in the earth or main;
'Tis the grandest theme for a mortal strain;
'Tis the grandest theme, tell the world again,
"Our God is able to deliver thee."

3. 'Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll
To the guilty heart, to the sinful soul;
Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole;
"Our God is able to deliver thee."

Chorus:
He is able to deliver thee,
He is able to deliver thee;
Though by sin oppressed,
Go to Him for rest;
"Our God is able to deliver thee."

Lyrics: William Augustine Ogden

John 8 21 to 31

2011-12-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Key Observation:
You shall die in your sins unless you believe in Christ.

Devotion:
Many believed on Him. Again John gives us the idea of many. But, again, it is not clear if the belief was effectual or not; that is, did the people go on and believe in the resurrected Christ, or was their belief more of a passing fancy? I cannot be sure from the passage. It is evident to me that besides the ones who believed, there were also many who did not. I think that Jesus was highly controversial and everyone had an opinion of Him, some saying He is the Messiah, while others were saying He needed to be silenced.

Today I hear many opinions about this same Jesus. One solitary man has changed all of history. Millions of people claim to know Him and the power of His resurrection. Over hundreds of years many lives have been radically altered by their finding Jesus. From Isaac Watts to Chuck Colson, the world has seen dramatic transformation of men and women who have witnessed of the power of Jesus.

Not long ago, I sat eating lunch next to a woman and I had opportunity to discuss some of the things of the Bible with her. I was presenting the claims of Christ to her and not long into the discussion, she raised her objection. She said, ‘That may be what the Bible says, but how do we know it is true?’ She objected, I think, to the passage where Christ says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Overtly, at least, she objected to the truth of the Bible, questioning whether what we had today was really what was originally written.

It is beyond the scope of this short page to deal completely with her objection, but this is one fact “you can take to the bank”. Never have more men poured over manuscripts with fact-checking and comparisons, in checking the original words of Scripture. This is a field called ‘textual criticism’ and perhaps all you might need to know from this devotion is that there are thousands of extant manuscripts, and there is little variation in any of them. One of the few passages that are challenged is found in the first portion of the chapter I am now writing about. When I reach a passage like that, I always mention that it is of questionable authority. I am surprised that there are so few passages that are questioned. There are literally thousands of portions of early manuscripts that have been discovered, and Bible scholars are in agreement most of the time: the Bible is a reliable impartation of what actually took place during the early church.

What is the modern man to do with Jesus? I think I find three different, but common responses when I am talking to people about Christ. First, there are people who say He is a great teacher. But that option is not really open as a valid logical choice. In the passage just above, He claimed to be from above, and there are many other passages, including the verses at the end of this chapter, where Jesus takes the “I am” name or “Jehovah”, and the Jewish leaders sought to kill Him for what they thought was blasphemy.

Second, and logically, a person may think Jesus to be a lunatic. After all, He claimed to be God, to exist from eternity past, and He told men everywhere that all they had to do was believe in Him, and their souls would be saved from Hell. Isn’t that the message of a mad man? I would submit that an examination of what Jesus said and thought, and the reaction of the crowds around Him to His many miracles show that calling him a lunatic is not a logical option.

If, then, I do not find Jesus as a great teacher, and I do not find Jesus as a lunatic, what is the third option? The third and only viable option is that Jesus was exactly who He said He was. He is the Son of God, the Word made flesh, the Light of the world, the Lamb of God, and the great “I am”. He died on the cross, just as He planned, and just as He said, He is coming back one day both to collect His believers and to rule the earth from Jerusalem. Maybe that is an option that you might consider as we go into another uncertain year.

Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know

1. Ask ye what great thing I know,
That delights and stirs me so?
What the high reward I win?
Whose the Name I glory in?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

2. What is faith's foundation strong?
What awakes my heart to song?
He Who bore my sinful load,
Purchased for me peace with God,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

3. Who is He that makes me wise
To discern where duty lies?
Who is He that makes me true
Duty, when discerned to do,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

4. Who defeats my fiercest foes?
Who consoles my saddest woes?
Who revives my fainting heart,
Healing all its hidden smart?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

5. Who is life in life to me?
Who the death of death will be?
Who will place me on His right,
With the countless hosts of light?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

6. This is that great thing I know;
This delights and stirs me so;
Faith in Him Who died to save,
Him Who triumphed over the grave:
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Lyrics: Johann Christoph Schwedler

John 8 12 to 20

2011-12-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.
18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.
19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

Key Observation:
The testimony of two, Jesus and His Father, bear witness, but are rejected by many people.

Devotion:
Jesus again says He is the light of the world. Again I notice that the Scripture includes the world, not just the elect. I think that God has always had a two-fold message: 1) to make the offer of salvation to the entire world, 2) that offer is contingent upon the person’s belief, which will always make them to be one of the elect. “He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Last night I made an interesting short Bible study, collecting the verses throughout the New Testament that seem to indicate the scope of God’s outreach to start with the world, although it is obvious that God absolutely foreknew that many would never respond, “because men loved darkness, for their deeds were evil.” Here are the verses indicating outreach to the world:

1.) 2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2.) 1 Timothy 2:6
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
3.) John 12:31,32
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
4.) Matthew 20:16
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
5.) Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.
6.) 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
7.) 1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
8.) 1 John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
9.) John 3:8
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
10.) John 3:15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
11.) John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
12.) John 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
13.) John 3:18
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
14.) John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
15.) John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
16.) John 4:42
And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
17.) John 5:23
That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
18.) John 5:40
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
19.) John 5:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
20.) John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
21) John 16:8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.

I always figured there were about 15 verses that I could pull up right away to show the offer of God’s salvation is extended to the world. In about an hour, I was able to come up with these 21 verses, and the list is in no way exhaustive. In understanding atonement, these verses must be taken into account, and it will do the interpreter no good to try to “unsay” the verses by pretending that these verses only mean the elect. Such forcing of scripture will only take one away from the Scripture he needs to venerate. John Piper calls this a legitimate or “bonafide” offer. McGee has an interesting comment (which I also used yesterday) on John 7:37: “This is free will, friend. “If any man.” That means you. God is offering a gift to you. Also here is election: “If any man thirst.” The question is, “Are you thirsty?” Have you perhaps been drinking at the mud holes of the world, and have you been finding that they are not satisfying? “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” You can come to Him and receive Him as your Savior.”

Many arguments have been made over atonement, and I do not hope to end those quarrels, for some do not seek to understand Scripture in its plain sense, but try instead to constrain “wayward” verses to follow their own creeds. By collectively taking these verses together, I do hope that it will be seen that God, indeed, is absolutely just in judging people who refuse to believe. The charge of double predestination, or of condemning some to hell without any possibility of belief on their part is ludicrous, and all the more, in light of these verses. Many of the above verses illustrate the God does indeed draw all men to Himself. Man is responsible to respond to the message of God. but without that drawing salvation for any of us would be impossible, for we are irrevocably caught in our own sin, and utterly unable to extricate ourselves apart from the grace of God.

“Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:7) So we see that some are not able to enter into the kingdom of God because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:19) If you thirst, if you want to see the light of the world, if you want to eat the bread of life, it is to Jesus you must come. There is no other door to heaven by which you may come. But the mystery is if you choose to come, then you are already one of the elect, whom God foreknows. He that comes to Jesus will in no wise be cast out. Come today.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101284-101287). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

O How I Love Jesus

1. There is a name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest name on earth.

2. It tells me of a Savior's love,
Who died to set me free;
It tells me of His precious blood,
The sinner's perfect plea.

3. It tells me what my Father has
In store for ev'ry day;
And though I tread a darksome path,
Yields sunshine all the way.

4. It tells of One whose loving heart
Can feel my deepest woe,
Who in each sorrow bears a part,
That none can bear below.

Chorus:
O how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me.

Lyrics: Frederick Whitfield

John 8 1 to 11

2011-12-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Key Observation:
This portion does not appear in the earliest manuscripts. However, McGee tells us: “Augustine writes that it was omitted because of a prudish fear that it would encourage adultery.”

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101329-101330). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Devotion:
I find it interesting that again and again the leaders try to trap Jesus into some sort of verbal sin, blasphemy or whatever. Here the Pharisees bring Him a woman, specifically challenging Him to dare to show her mercy. Each time, Jesus perfectly keeps the Law, yet shows the mercy through the Law that God meant men to show all along.

Here is a woman taken in the very act of adultery. Was she yet undressed? I can easily imagine the Pharisees wanting to add to the difficulty of Jesus by presenting the woman exactly in the state which she had been taken. (I have always wondered if Saul of Tarsus was among one of these groups of Pharisees that keep challenging Jesus) I ask this question because of the action of Jesus, who stoops down, perhaps avoiding looking at the woman, and writes on the ground. Perhaps He was embarrassed, if not for Himself, for the sake of the woman.

I am not told many things which I wonder about here. I imagine such a woman, taken by the religious rulers, would be in quite an awful emotional state. Perhaps tears were streaming down her face as she knew that she quite easily could be stoned for her deed. Perhaps she had struggled, and with torn clothing, tears, and whatever bruises they may have inflicted in dragging her along, she faced Jesus. I love the fact that my Lord did not look at her, but gave her respect, and told her to go and sin no more.

He was able to turn the tables on the religious leaders, giving them an answer they did not expect: He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone. I find it remarkable that these men whom I tend to think of as “whitewashed walls” (a reference that Jesus later makes, a metaphor telling them they are whitewashed tombs, or walking dead people) were aware enough to realize their own shortcomings. I wonder if they knew enough about each other that just looking at each other was self-condemning. At any rate, they were convicted by their own sins, yet even as with Judas, this conviction led not to repentance. Contrast the woman, who knows her own sin, even as does the whole group, who calls Jesus Lord. Her belief grants her the mercy of God, and Jesus commands go and sin no more.

There is no sin for which forgiveness cannot be granted, unless it is the sin of unbelief. What must we do that we might work the works of God, asks the crowd. Jesus replies, This is the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom He hath sent. In the last chapter Jesus said, if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink, McGee comments:

“This is free will, friend. “If any man.” That means you. God is offering a gift to you. Also here is election: “If any man thirst.” The question is, “Are you thirsty?” Have you perhaps been drinking at the mud holes of the world, and have you been finding that they are not satisfying? “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” You can come to Him and receive Him as your Savior.”

The Scripture says if any man come unto me, I will in no wise cast him out. If you are making the mistake of believing you are too rotten for God to forgive, let me suggest that you might be getting close to seeing your sins the way that God does, in all of their degradation and filth. Perhaps you can identify with this woman, almost naked, beaten, and emotionally at her end. And even as she, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient, that she could walk away from her old life of sin toward her new life of faith. What a good God we have, rich in mercy and longsuffering towards us!

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101284-101287). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Another Year Is Dawning

1. Another year is dawning;
Dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting,
Another year with Thee;
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

2. Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness
In the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning
Upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.

3. Another year of service,
Of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.
Another year is dawning:
Dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in heaven,
Another year for Thee.

Lyrics: Frances Ridley Havergal
Music: Samuel Sebastian Wesley

John 7 40 to 53

2011-12-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43 So there was a division among the people because of him.
44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?
46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
53 And every man went unto his own house.

Key Observation:
People disagreed about Christ, but everyone was talking about him: the people were divided about whether He was a prophet or the Christ, and the Pharisees saw Him as competition and thus tried to have Him arrested.

Devotion:
Jesus famously said, I have not come to bring peace, but rather a sword. In this passage I see Jesus divinely protected from the hands of angry men, who eventually got their way with the Messiah. Is that not sovereignty of God ineffably mixed with the freedom of man?

Again those who studied the most about the Christ seem almost to be at a disadvantage, for they thought that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, and the world mistakenly thought Christ to be of Galilee. Nicodemus appears again in this chapter, speaking in behalf of the Christ, but it is unclear whether Nicodemus is a believer, or merely sympathetic.

I find it interesting that many who studied were yet deceived. When I look for that pattern among men in the world of today, it is not at all hard to find a parallel. Many people have come to the Word of God, fascinated by its pull, perhaps somehow sensing the great things in the Word, but are without capability of discerning truth. Was Nicodemus among those of Jesus’ time? Certainly these men were scholars enough to both expect the Savior and know of His birthplace. But it helped them not when confronted with the actual Messiah. So close and yet so far!

In the main thrust of this passage, I would point out that Jesus had gone up secretly to this feast, unknown to his disciples, and, at least in part, He went secretly because He had already become a wanted man. But look at the way the soldiers could not lay a hand on Him. They were awestruck with the power of His message, they said. But I cannot help but wonder if they were not being held back by the very power of God.

So I have Jesus subject to his world and being forced to travel secretly rather than openly. But I also see Jesus sovereignly stopping an early arrest, for His time had not yet come. Here I see the mystery of the sovereign God laying down His immutable will in the everyday world. One the one hand sovereignty and power from God, but on the other hand Jesus facing His problem as any man might, hiding Himself until appropriate times. Is that not a mystery? I find it profoundly so.

Evidently one way of contextualizing the problem of Jesus was that He wanted His message out to the people who might hear it. Remember there was sharp division among even the regular people for some said He is the Christ while others said He was no more than a prophet. Complicating everything was the fact that the Pharisees, the peers of Nicodemus, already wanted to arrest Him. Jesus could not let this happen, and yet needed to get His message out, so what He did seems like a balancing act of hiding and revealing Himself.

Is that not what He is doing in the world today? There are many false followers, digging through the Word furiously, but missing everything that would point the way to the Savior. Such people are puffed up in their pride and false knowledge, and are not humbling themselves before God. But to others, and sometimes in unexpected ways, He reveals Himself and dramatically changes a life. How do I know? Because He did that with me. Has He done that with you?

We find Him not through our minds, nor by devising dastardly doctrines, but rather by humbling ourselves, opening our souls before Him, and coming to Him as a little child.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Matthew 18:4
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

John 6:37
He that comes to me I will never drive away.

His mercy is sure and if we wait until we understand Him we will never come. I say that to you as one who came to Him a bit differently than many. John 14:6 says: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” I saw the Truth, and did not know about either the way or the life. Those I was discipled in after I knew Him as Truth. Lay aside your expectations about God, lay aside your feeble works with which you would please God, and find out what He says. He is waiting with open arms. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Say with me, “I believe. Dear God, help my unbelief.” The best place to start finding out about this One in whom you would believe is in John, for John tells us much about the Savior of the world.

Love Lifted Me

1. I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

2. All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I'll cling
In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul's best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.

3. Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He's the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Chorus:
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!

Lyrics: James Rowe

John 7 31 to 39

2011-12-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Key Observation:
Many of the people believed on him.

Key Verse:
I have always picked up a sense that John emphasizes the multitudes, the crowds, the throngs of people much more than do the other gospel writers. Here John tells us that many people believed on Him, a phrase in my mind that instantly triggers an assumption for salvation, but I do not know that is what John means. If I do the basics of interpretation and find out who was speaking and to whom and when, I might arrive at different speculations.

Certainly Christ had not yet died; while it is perfectly true that belief has always been the vehicle of salvation, I should question what it was that they believed. My dubiousness comes from the prior chapters, where Jesus did not commit himself to any of the people for He knew all people, and knew what is in their heart. Having said that, there are two favorable things that I see in this passage. First, the people were evidently thinking they had found the Messiah, because of the miracles which they had seen. Second, the Pharisees reacted with violent answers when they heard the multitude’s beliefs. They sent soldiers to arrest Jesus.

Again I find myself wondering about this crowd after the resurrection. Did they all believe in the Christ? There is no way that I know of checking such an answer out, at least on this side of heaven, but won’t it be neat to at least someday meet those who were saved by believing on this day. Historically we know that many thousands embraced the faith in Acts. Maybe some of these same people were among them.

Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. One of the early references to the gift of the Holy Spirit, something I am in constant thankfulness for. His gifts are without reproach, says the Scripture, and the Holy Spirit is to be indwelling us for the rest of eternity. On this day after Christmas, that is something truly to be thankful for.

Behold the Saviour of Mankind

1. Behold the Saviour of mankind
Nailed to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined
To bleed and die for thee!

2. Though far unequal our low praise
To Thy vast sufferings prove,
O Lamb of God, thus all our days,
Thus will we grieve and love.

3. Hark, how He groans! while nature shakes,
And earth's strong pillars bend;
The temple's veil in sunder breaks,
The solid marbles rend.

4. 'Tis done! the precious ransom's paid,
"Receive my soul," He cries!
See where He bows His sacred head!
He bows His head, and dies!

5. But soon He'll break death's envious chain,
And in full glory shine:
O Lamb of God! was ever pain,
Was ever love, like thine?

6. Thy loss our ruin did repair;
Death by death is slain;
Thou wilt at length exalt us where
Thou dost in glory reign.

Lyrics: Samuel Wesley, Sr.

John 7 21 to 30

2011-12-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

Key Observation:
At this point in Jesus’ ministry, the Jewish leaders were actively trying to kill Him.

Devotion:
Christmas morning here. Not the same as it was when I had my young children over. By now we would have exchanged gifts among the kids, and Mom and I might be getting ready for a nap, which the noisy children would not let us have anyway. I will be going to my daughter’s this afternoon, and can expect lots of noise then, but right now the house is so quiet.
I notice that Jesus is having to fend for his own life, but the Scripture is very clear to us that Jesus gave His life, and no man took it from Him. In statements like that I see the awesome sovereignty of God complementing the willful sinfulness of man, for it can be argued that the ruler’s intent to destroy Christ did find ultimate success. I wonder at the might of our God, who is able to take the wayward hearts of men, and design a plan for the rescue of the world. Divine sovereignty and free choice of men quilting together in a tapestry too complicated for me to understand!
Which brings me to what I would like to show this morning, and that is the fulfillment of God’s prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus. I am using Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict, and only treating the main prophecies.

By presenting these few proofs, (there are many many more) I would like to show there is credible proof of Jesus being whom He said He was. Presenting proofs will never convince the hard skeptic, for a veil remains over his heart lest he should see and repent. Rather these verses are to show that there is much credible reason for believing that something incredible happened to mankind some two thousand years ago. Our gracious and loving God made a path whereby we might be restored to Him, and believing, be saved.
Happy Birthday Jesus!

Angels We Have Heard on High

1. Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o'er the plains:
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
2. Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav'nly song?
3. Come to Bethlehem, and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
4. See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.
Chorus:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Lyrics: French carol

John 7 10 to 20

2011-12-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Key Observation:
Jesus came teaching the doctrine of God, and many sought His death because of it.

Devotion:
I am thinking of the first Christmas, and wondering at the celebration that the whole of the United States manages to put on. In spite of all the hoopla about Government needing to take a neutral position for religion, I am surprised pleasantly each year when I catch a bit of the mood that comes over the whole country. This year, while I certainly see that spirit going on, there are some worrying trends. First, I have noticed the phrase “Happy Holidays” out there a lot this year, perhaps because the intrusion of the state to remind us (and compel us) not to be anything but “religious neutral”. I have sought to combat the secularization of Christmas by wishing Jesus happy birthday, but I know that most think little, if any, of the solitary man who came to forever change the world.

Second, and more worrisome to me, is the growing compelling growth of what I call the “secularized country” which appears to be growing wilder and more unruly. This week was marked by a headline about a man randomly shooting passerbys on the highway. Last week was marked over headlines about someone electronically offering people jobs in a remote location so that they could be killed. Random crazy people, just like always, you might think, and I might agree. But what of the multiple riots I have seen erupt as shoppers are fighting for sale items? I fear that the tenor of the U.S. is turning more than a little bitter, an event which seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. I have seen wisps of anti-Semitism coming out of my own country this past year, and as a Christian, I understand the often repeated historicity of these events point to a spiritual battle going on that natural man does not realize. Certainly the middle east is garnering sympathy for their hatred of the nation Israel, and I know Israel’s smarter politicians have to be wondering how much longer can they hang on to their own country.

Many Christians today have to live their entire lives out in secret, and when I compare the lack of freedom in their countries to my own, I am thankful that I live in “the most remarkably free country” for Christians in the world. But still I perceive the dark curtain against Christianity to be near, and ready to slip into place at any given moment. Still, for now, I can look forward to winning more people to Christ, while He yet lingers, and while the age of grace is coming to a close.

Even when Jesus was born, was He not forced to remain secret? Did not Herod seek his death by genocide of an entire generation of babies? In this passage, I find that Jesus had to say one thing to his disciples, and do something else. His very coming and going had to be done with stealth, for fear of the Jewish leaders who sought already to kill him. Evidently they were doing this hunting for Jesus on the quiet, for we have the reply of the people to Jesus: “Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?”, indicating that they themselves did not know of the plot.

What else did “they”, the common people, not know? I find that they did not know nearly enough to save themselves by believing Jesus. They knew not his birthplace, they knew not Him to be born of a virgin, and they recognized not His message to be from God. He was the Light of the world, John tells us, but men loved darkness for their deeds were evil. In this chapter, John says, “many in the crowd” put their faith in Him. But even when I read many, I ask myself just how “many” of the many also believed Christ’s resurrection later? I find it amazing that the temple guards were sent to arrest Jesus, but found themselves unable to lift a hand to do so. When questioned about it, they reply that they had never heard a message like this. But I think it was the Son of God, working to quiet the spirits of men until He was ready to give Himself.

Today on Christmas Eve, we Christians value not so much the baby, though we rejoice in His being sent to the world, but rather we value the One who gave Himself for us, dying so that we might live, and being raised again, so that we might have sureness of hope. Merry Christmas to you all and remember “Happy Birthday Jesus!”

Away in a Manger

1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head:
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay;
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

2. The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

3. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

Lyrics: Verse 3: John Thomas McFarland

John 7 1 to 10

2011-12-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
2 Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.
9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Key Observation:
Josh McDowell connects the Feast of Tabernacles to Rest and Reunion with Christ.

Devotion:
I wonder why Jesus seems to often hid from His own disciples that which He is going to do. I am guessing it works with the deep plans of God. In yesterday’s devotion, I noted that I probably would be very uncomfortable with knowing the hearts of men, and what their ultimate fate was. For whatever reason, Jesus kept some of his comings and goings quiet. In this chapter I get quite a bit more information about Jesus’ comings and goings.

First of all, I would note that there were three main feasts, which I think were Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Trumpets. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread occur at nearly the same time, and I understand those two feasts have to do with Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross. Remember the Scripture says: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” One of the things I learn in this chapter is that the Jewish leaders were already seeking the life of Jesus. As I would expect they were unable to put their hands on Him for His hour had not yet come.

1) (verse 13) “But no one would say anything publically about him for fear of the Jews.
2) (verse 25) “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?”
3) (verse 30) “At this, they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his
time had not yet come.”
4) (verse 31) “Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.”
5) (verse 45) “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who
asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?””
6) (verse 46) “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards declared.

In summation, I find six instances where men sought to seize Jesus, just in this chapter, and never did a man lay a hand on him. Jesus was close to offering Himself up as a sacrifice, but His time was not yet. With scarcely a thought, our God come in the flesh, could have at any moment, completely overcome His enemies, but if He did, you and I would not have the gift of eternal life offered to us. He submitted, and no man took His life. He freely gave it, that I might have life with Him.

Now a continued word about the feasts. If I know the reason for the Passover, and I understand the reason for Pentecost was to remember the coming of the Holy Spirit to abide in us forever, then what must I understand the Feast of Trumpets to mean? Josh McDowell, among many others, places this feast to commemorate the return of Jesus to the earth. (p. 150, Evidence that Demands a Verdict) I agree wholeheartedly and have wondered if the time of Christ’s return is not going to occur at this time, in a yet unknown year. Many scholars have agreed that this is a strong possibility, but of course, no one knows that time of His return.

This much I do know. The Passover Lamb was sacrificed at the very moment my Lord died on the cross. God, in anticipation of the event, set up a commemoration of the event nearly two thousand years earlier, and it came to pass exactly as God had planned. His second coming is also preplanned and will come to pass exactly on the day that God has intended all along. At the very least, this fact should make me know that my God is completely sovereign. Surely He shall laugh at the world leaders and mock all their fruitless plans (Psalm 2). Our God Reigns! And no one shall undo that which God has foreordained.

Rock of Ages

1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

2. Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone:
In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

3. While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Lyrics: Augustus Montague Toplady

John 6 59 to 71

2011-12-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Key Observation:
Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. Before the beginning, before creation, Jesus has insight into souls that you or I seldom have.

Devotion:
What an advantage it would be to know the outcome of the person I am talking to about Christ. Honestly there have been a few times when I have known the people to whom I am speaking very well, and I know the Spirit is doing His work, and I am sure that person is going to come all the way to belief. But this is different. Christ knows from the beginning. He knows before He starts talking to a person, just exactly how and when that person will react. McGee gives a wonderful “approximate” quote from Spurgeon: “Spurgeon’s answer was something like this, “If the Lord had put a yellow stripe down the backs of the elect, I’d go up and down the street lifting up shirttails, finding out who had the yellow stripe, and then I’d give them the gospel. But God didn’t do it that way. He told me to preach the gospel to every creature that ‘whosoever will may come.’”

But if I reflect on it just a moment, I would not really want to know the outcome of every person’s life. How tragic to know most of the world is perishing. I currently estimate that no more than 2 out of 6 people on earth have anything to do with Christianity, and I know that God will winnow out the believers from among these. How sad it would be to look at people with the eyes of God and see their eternal destiny. Remember the rich young man, whom Christ looked at (Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18). Mark alone gives to me a very interesting additional fact. It says: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” It is interesting to me that some who teach irresistible grace seldom have anything to say about this verse; it seems that the love of God is quite resistible and here is a concrete example of it.

Of course John says in many places that God loved the world, and that whosoever may come, so what we see specifically from the example of the rich young man is but one example in the larger world. But I think of how hard it would be to be God, to love someone, to send your Son to redeem that person, and to watch that person turn away with a hard heart. And, beloved, it will not be any better for those who turn away. For how will it be to be in hell, to suffer eternally, and to know the whole time that God loves you, and there is nothing to be done about it, ever. I understand that I only look at things partially, not wholly through the lens of the righteousness of God, but it seems to me that the willful waywardness of man must distress our God terribly. Did He not send the Son that we might be redeemed? Did He not leave obvious evidence of Himself in creation, as it says in Romans 1:20? It is no accident that in the parable of the tenants (Matthew 21), the landowner is pictured as a merciful and kind owner, doing everything for his tenants, even to the sending of his own son. That landowner is a picture of God, and is meant to teach us of God’s mercy. Has He not done everything that wretched man might be saved? And having done everything, there is nothing left but for man to remain in the condemnation that we have had since Adam. How shall it be on that day, if the wretched should know God, know and experience his fate, and know there is nothing that the Loving and Just God can do! Take advantage of His grace today. Has He not said that anyone who comes to him I will in no wise cast out? You may ask, how can I come if I am not one of the elect? McGee answers this way: “Someone may ask, “You mean that if I’m not the elect I can still come?” My friend, if you come, you will be the elect. How tremendous this is!” The grace of God is without measure, and I grow more aware of it each day.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101035-101036). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101031-101034). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

1. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

2. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

3. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God's dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven,
For all eternity;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Chorus:
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus,
Praise His Name!

Lyrics: Haldor Lillenas

John 6 47 to 58

2011-12-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Key Observation:
He is life itself!

Memory Verse:
McGee says of this passage: “He came down to this earth: “the Word was made flesh” (John 1:14). He is going to the cross to lay that human life down there as a sacrifice to pay for your sins and my sins. Friend, when you partake of that, that is, when you accept that, you are saved. Someone may say, “Oh, that’s so vivid and so strong.” That’s what they said in that day, too.”

He further said: “This, obviously, is something that is not to be taken literally because He was right there before them. He is not saying for them to begin to eat Him and to drink His blood! What He is saying is that He is going to give His life. In that Upper Room He made it very clear that the blood is the symbol of life. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood … ” (Lev. 17:11). God had taught the Israelites that truth from the very beginning when He called them out of the land of Egypt. There at Mount Sinai Moses gives them this great axiom, “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” which is also medically true, by the way. The life of the flesh is in the blood. And Jesus is giving His life. He will shed His blood upon the cross and give His life. Salvation is by accepting and receiving Him in a most intimate way.”

I wonder about bread. I do remember the old advertisements Roman Meal had for their bread. They pictured soldiers marching all day long on bread, and thus brought the idea of complete nourishment to mind, hopefully increasing their sales. But the idea of bread being completely nourishing is one found in the Bible as well. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God. As McGee reminds me, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. When we believe Him, we partake of his sacrifice on our behalf. His blood and body being shed for us on the cross is vital to our being saved.

I have learned in my life of almost 60 years that as I gaze upon the Christ who gave Himself for me that the light of this world grows strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. He does shine more brightly in my life with each passing day. I hope it is a truth which you have discovered for yourself.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101090-101096). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101077-101080). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

1. O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

2. Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conquerors we are!

3. His Word shall not fail you He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Chorus:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Lyrics: Helen Howarth Lemmel

John 6 41 to 46

2011-12-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

Key Observation:
The Father draws us (election) and the Son raises us up on the last day.

Devotion:
I first notice that the Jews murmur because Jesus claims equality with God. They do the “right” thing when they hear something that does not sound right, and they begin to go over what they know, asking themselves if Jesus came from heaven, why do they know his father is Joseph and his mother is Mary. I notice that they are only half right, and there is their tragic error. Born of a virgin was something they just did not know, and on the basis of what they knew, they were acting credibly. The trouble was that they had gotten half their facts wrong. I recall elsewhere they ask the question: “Can any good thing come out of Nazereth?” Again, they assumed they knew the birthplace of Jesus; in fact, they did not. The irony is that the Christ they had been waiting for was right in front of them, and they did not recognize Him. They did not know Him to be born of a virgin, and they did not know He was born in Bethlehem.

Josh McDowell does a very fine job with presenting all the prophecies that came true in Christ, in his book: Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Had the Jews but known their facts, they would have seen much more credible evidence. Especially fine is McDowell’s chapter on “The Messianic Prophecies” (Chapter 9). In this chapter, McDowell covers over 60 prophecies concerning the life of our Lord. I commend it to your study!

I go off half cocked over issues, and find that I have to eat a large portion of humble pie because of my behavior. Part of growing old has been to gain a few seeds of wisdom where at least I know I am very prone to being wrong. That way I can plan a little bit for my stupidity. But this failure on the part of the Jews is wrapped up with election, and becomes much harder to understand. I am told that we have to be drawn to God, and that this is the work the Father does. I am told that we have to be convicted of our sin, and that this is the work the Holy Spirit does. Just looking at Jesus, even if we could see Him for who He is, is not enough. John 6:37 mixes the elements of election and responsibility beautifully together: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

Someone pointed out to me the other night that the same Scripture which tells me so profoundly of God’s sovereign election also says “whosoever will may come” and “come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” God must elect; we must come. Perhaps the reason the Jews here is this passage could not see the Messiah before them, was that they had eyes which would not see, and ears which would not hear, lest they see and hear and be saved.

He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Would I have been any more alert than they? Would I have seen God in the flesh when I saw Jesus? I am not sure I can say that, but I can say when God sought me I came. Today, if you hear the voice of God, don’t shut it out. Come and be saved.

Come to the Savior

1. Come to the Savior, make no delay;
Here in His Word He's shown us the way;
Here in our midst He's standing today,
Tenderly saying, "Come!"

2. "Suffer the children!" oh, hear His voice!
Let ev'ry heart leap forth and rejoice;
And let us freely make Him our choice;
Do not delay, but come.

3. Think once again, He's with us today;
Heed now His blest command, and obey;
Hear now His accents tenderly say,
"Will you, My children, come?"

Chorus:
Joyful, joyful will the meeting be,
When from sin our hearts are pure and free;
And we shall gather, Savior, with Thee,
In our eternal home.

Lyrics: George Frederick Root

John 6 36 to 40

2011-12-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Key Observation:
Here is the full-fledged mystery of election. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” as well as “every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life.” Side by side sovereignty and human choice are given to us to believe.

Devotion:
“That ye also have seen me, and believe not.” Jesus makes a very big point about His coming. He came to set men free from their sin, and did not come to condemn any. “Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” And again: “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3) To understand the just view of God, I think I need to go all the way back to Genesis. In Genesis, when my forefather sinned, he condemned the whole of the human race. God would have been entirely just to let man perish; instead He chose to send the Son to freely redeem all who come to Him. All who come to Him, not just part. The offer is an offer made to the whole world, but of course God foreknew from the beginning of time those who would or wouldn’t come.

I think this is why Jesus could make so many statements in His ministry that are far beyond me. He could look at a man, know his heart, and the way that man was going to go. So we have statements like: “But He did not commit Himself to any of them, for He knew all men.” (J. 2:24) There is no point at which we the created can surprise the Creator. He is so far above us, knowing all ends from the beginning, that such a surprise could never be. I read somewhere recently (wish I remembered where) that if even one surprise like that were to occur, God would be no longer God. Jonathan Edwards certainly argued persuasively that God would not be able to plan anything out if such surprise were possible.

Judicially then the human race is condemned; it is the unmerited mercy of God that He deigned to extend grace to mankind. That is the coming of the Son. Pardon granted to all those who all who come to Him freely and without condemnation. Christ died for all sins and when I believed He had already died in time past, and yet had died for all my sins, which all were future then. The sins which I have not yet committed—those too Christ died for. If ever I dwell on the Grace of God, the penalty suffered for me, and the pardon which is given to me, how shall I then live? To live other than striving to be an obedient adopted son should be unthinkable—yet I know my hard heart and how quickly I can turn from what I should be. With Paul, I must shout, “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Blessed Assurance

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight:
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest:
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Chorus:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Lyrics: Frances Jane (Fanny J.) Crosby

John 6 28 to 35

2011-12-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Key Observation:
The only “work” which we may do, and are commanded to do, is believe on him whom he hath sent.

Devotion:
I started reading “A Defense of Calvinism”, by C.H. Spurgeon last night, and I do enjoy my Spurgeon. Yet, in his opening, he starts out with a misplaced zeal for God, not wanting to take any credit for his salvation, which is indeed a Biblical doctrine, but needs to be understood properly. But before I look at what Spurgeon said, I need to first look at this passage: “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” The question is really simple; what must we do, that we might work the works of God. Jesus replied to the question, “ye believe”. Yet I have dozens of friends who look at this passage and say, “See, God’s work is to force you to believe. Man has nothing to do with salvation. Otherwise it would be a work, and then I could not say my salvation is all due to God’s grace.”

I do not hope to correct the record or solve the election and choice issue, which has been going on for hundreds of years. I do like Augustine’s fine essay on Grace and Free Will. It is a great read, especially for anyone that seems to be overawed by the thrust of overzealousness on the part of some regarding election. As regards the above passage about believing God, I think it best to let the Bible speak as it ought in all cases, that is for itself, something I feel that Calvin would also agree with. As I understand it, God’s election works in man; God calls all men, as the Bible says many are called but few are chosen. Wrapped up within the election, is the bonafide choice of men, and somehow God makes it work so that it all harmonizes, probably in a way that is beyond our ability to conceive.

Spurgeon starts off his work by saying which makes me wonder: “when I see some of the worst characters in the street, I feel as if my heart must burst forth in tears of gratitude that God has never let me act as they have done!” Is Spurgeon saying that predestination is for the unelect as well as the elect? When I first read this sentence I thought of the publican, self-righteously praying and thanking God that He is not as other sinners. Our Lord teaches that such prayers are examples of self-righteousness, and thus are not prayers at all. But Spurgeon seems to be saying the opposite. By giving God all credit for his own salvation, and taking none for himself, Spurgeon is saying that God is sovereign in all things, even to the choices that men make, for good or for bad. I fear this leads inevitably to what is termed “double-predestination”, a doctrine which essentially teaches man makes no choices at all, but it is all God in man who is really making the choices. That doctrine is plainly against the whole tenor of the New Testament. It is certainly against the tenor of the book of John, where believing and life are the key words of this gospel.

I do think that this is a basic misunderstanding of faith; is not faith that the Bible teaches the very opposite of works? Is that not what Christ was saying to these who asked him what they must do to work the works of God? Arguing from the negative is not usually a strong plank of argumentation, and so should be used sparingly, but do you not find it odd that God does not simply clear up the mess with a slightly different version of what Christ replies? Could not Christ have saved hundreds of years of debate by simply saying: “You can do nothing for it is God who works in you to bring you to faith in spite of yourselves.It is God who does everything."? It is very true that Jesus teaches that some are elected. But the same Jesus teaches that, teaches also that the world is convicted both of sin and of the righteousness of Christ by the Holy Spirit.

I do find the arguing of Spurgeon endearing when he talks about God’s election of himself. Let me repeat a few of the wonderful things he noted:
1) “When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me.”
2) “The truth flashed across my mind in a moment—I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him.”
3) “Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, "I ascribe my change wholly to God."

I find it interesting to compare my own calling with the testimony that Spurgeon shares. In my own conversion it was very obvious to me that my calling was a God-thing, and not me at all. I did not have to wait for later prayer and meditation, as did Spurgeon, to know that all glory and honor is due to the Father for my salvation. I do agree wholeheartedly with all the three points I listed above, and with the many fine other points of reasoning Spurgeon has about God’s election in his own life.

I think the main point of disagreement comes only in belief; it seems obvious from the following verses that we are charged to believe:
1) “He knows that he tells the truth and he testifies so that you also may believe.” (J. 20:35)
2) “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (J. 20:31)
3) “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but he that believes not stands condemned already.” (J. 3:18)
4) “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (Here we are told “rejection” will keep the wrath of God on the non-believer. (J. 3:36)
5) “So he and all his household believed.” (J. 4:53)
6) “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (J. 6:40)
7) “But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.” (J. 6:36)

The famous song sings whosoever will may come, and so the Scripture says (J. 3:15), but apparently the Calvinist believes that is limited to those whom God elects. But who, I ask, does He elect? He elects those who believe. Have you ever seen anyone elected who has not believed? Neither have I. God alone knows those who are elected in the future; we can only see their election after their belief. It is absolutely not arguable that God does the calling, that He woos our spirit with conviction, and as Spurgeon would hold, that He has everything to do with our coming to the Son. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 J. 4:19) But the question remains, why would Jesus hold us responsible to believe if we were not to respond? And if we are responsible to respond, to the point of righteous condemnation if we do not, how is it God doing the believing? At least with the worse doctrine of double predestination, it is consistent to say that God is the author of unbelief.

Ezekiel 3 gives us a famous verse about the wicked: “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.” I know that many would look at this verse and say, it being Old Testament, that it does not apply, but I think it does have bearing on the principles by which God has chosen to put out the gospel. Does not Paul, the great defended of election, also say: “And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?'"

I get the implication of this passage. We have the responsibility from God to do our best in carrying the message of grace to a lost world. The great commission makes it our responsibility; we have the very help of God’s Spirit to go before us to carry this message. I have always thought about the implication of what would happen if we do not carry the message forward; is it not there that the truth of Ezekiel’s words may apply?
Are we not accountable to do that which God has charged us?

Long ago I heard a simple story where Jesus was meeting with his disciples, and outlining His whole plan. He told them of the great commission, of the gift of His Holy Spirit, and of His thoughts of church planting. When he finishes his long and complete discourse, one of the disciples, having second thoughts, asks the Lord, “What if your people do not carry the message?” To which the Lord replied, “I have no other plan.”

I know how disconcerting it has been to my close friends who I have discussed these things. I have seen the looks of dismay, and heard their strenuous objections saying, “You can’t really believe that! That would mean that we are responsible for the souls of men.” I know not whether we are responsible for the souls of men. If I understand the bema seat of judgment aright, we will not be punished at all, for Christ Himself has been punished for all sins. But who is to say that we will not miss rewards because of what we did not do, including that message of salvation to that lost one? I do know one thing—it is the plan of God to spread His gospel through such unworthies as me, and I ought to do the best job I can when doing it, using prayer and the power of the Spirit in witnessing, that some might be saved. Look back to what Paul said. I don’t know what else he could be implying when he asks: “How shall they hear without a preacher?”

My views of carrying the gospel are bolstered when I read of such saints as George Mueller, who never wanted to pass up a chance to witness, from fear that he would be out of the will of God. Still I do recognize that much of the world does not let the message of Christ come into their world. Spurgeon recognized this when he said, “Could He not have caused me to be born with the skin of the Hottentot, brought forth by a filthy mother who would nurse me in her "kraal," and teach me to bow down to Pagan gods, quite as easily as to have given me a pious mother, who would each morning and night bend her knee in prayer on my behalf?” With Spurgeon, I recognize a whole lot of good fortune to my life that I even heard the gospel, and I heard it in a country where freedom of religion is a founding tenet. Moreover, I see much in the election of God when countries are so blind to the gospel that they would kill you for speaking the name of Christ. All I am saying is that God Himself has bidden us both to believe and to witness. We ought to be circumspect in doing both, especially as we see the Day drawing nearer.

Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 54-56). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 40-42). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 37-38). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 32-33). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 17-18). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Lyrics: Joseph Medlicott Scriven

John 6 22 to 27

2011-12-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Key Observation:
Men saw the earthly but not the heavenly.

Devotion:
Those who seek Jesus are not necessarily seeking heavenly things, and may be missing the point entirely. When I was a young and fresh convert, I took a course from Moody Bible Institute on Christian cults and found to my surprise that it was relatively easy to define a cult. Perry, running for president, got into trouble for suggesting that Romney was in a cult. Those who are outside Christian circles did not get his point, since those who know not Christ see little difference between one brand of religion or another.

Just what makes a Christian cult? There is no rule that fits for everything, and I suppose Jim Jones and his followers definitely would fit the meaning of a cult, though I do not remember the essentials of what they believe. But those are small fringe movements, and their beliefs can quite easily go extreme in one fashion or another. I would even argue that Jeremiah Wright’s church would constitute a cult, since they have a system of beliefs quite different from orthodox Christianity, and which, to my understanding is inclusive of Moslems as well.

The mainline cults are a bit easier to typify. And in each case the focus has to be around the person of Christ. Who is He? The apostle John teaches us that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. He teaches clearly that the Father and the Son are one in equality. In every major cult, this is where I find sharp differences. The person of Jesus is twisted to be the firstborn of God, or an angel. Even in the case of the Moslems, they believe Jesus is a prophet, but that Jesus will serve the Imam who returns, in clear contrast to the Bible teaching Jesus is the King of Kings and will rule the world one day.

If Jesus has declared that He is equal and then commands us to follow Him, how can we possibly follow Him if we do not understand His true nature. “I and the Father are one.” “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” His enemies at least knew what Jesus was claiming, and further they knew, that if those claims were false, that Jesus was guilty of the greatest blasphemy and deserved death. The Scripture says, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him. . . because He was making himself equal with God.”(John 5:18) Again at the end of chapter 8, it says the leaders again “picked up stones to stone him”. Again Jesus was claiming the great “I am” name for himself.

It seems to me to be a basic truth that people are still doing what they were doing in Jesus’ day. They are still trying to redefine Jesus to be what they want Him to be. They wanted a King who would feed them, and that is what they saw in Jesus. Something akin to a great Prophet, but they would never accept Him as who He was claiming to be.

When trying to explain that who Jesus is, I usually take the following line:

me: “Suppose I were to call you Jesus, my friend.”

my friend: “Okay.”

me: “Now I say the Bible says ‘Believe in Jesus and you shall be saved.’ So I believe in you. What happens?”

my friend: “I would think if you are depending on me to be saved, you are in a world of hurt.”

me: “Precisely, for I have placed my trust mistakenly in you, believing you to be Jesus.”

my friend: “So what are you saying?”

me: “I am saying that we better believe in the one Jesus presented in the Bible, or we are likely to find ourselves in the world of hurt that you were talking about.” I would then go on to present what the Bible does clearly present about who Christ is.

The Bible presents a clear picture of Jesus. He was sent from the Father. He was in the Beginning. He shares authority with the Father, and in terms of man, God has given the Son authority over all things. He is the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Word made Flesh, and the Lamb of God. All of these things are clearly presented in the gospel of John, who again wrote his book so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 21:31)

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

1. Christ the Lord is ris'n today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing ye heav'ns, and earth reply, Alleluia!

2. Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O Death is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once He all doth save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O Grave? Alleluia!

3. Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened Paradise, Alleluia!

4. Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Foll'wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Lyrics: Latin carol, 14th century; Verse 4: Charles Wesley

John 6 16 to 21

2011-12-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

Key Observation:
Jesus sought God in “alone” times, and presented Himself as the Son of God always.

Observation:
“It is I; be not afraid.” Jesus, the gospel tells me, withdrew to a mountain alone, probably seeking God the Father. I find myself with lots of questions over this passage. What took the disciples away? For what reason did they deign to leave without their Lord? The outcome, for me at least, would be too predictable. Leaving without thought or regard for my Lord would be the surest way of getting myself into a fierce storm that I know of.

I am not told why the disciples felt the need to go over, but is it not interesting that they found themselves on a wayward course just as soon they found themselves without the Lord? I would assume that Jesus walking on the water was, in part, for the benefit of presenting Himself as God to the disciples.

I also find it odd that John leaves out Peter’s walking on the water. No commentator that I have read seemed to speculate on this—and I surely do not know the answer. I speculate that the purpose of John was to do just as he said with his gospel: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Surely this was the apostle’s aim in recording what he did, and he may have just felt that telling of Peter and his walk on the water would detract from the miracle of God.

Interestingly McGee looks at some of these verses with the same sort of questions I have had when I first committed much of the gospel to memory. Immediately, it says, they got to the other side. I have always wondered whether that in itself was another miracle. McGee says: “This may be another miracle, or John may mean that with no delay they reached the other side since the water was now calm. Or it may be the language of love—with Him in the boat it didn’t seem far to the other side.”

“It is I, be not afraid.” Are not these His first words to a believer? Do they not echo always in my life? Encountering God has got to be the supreme experience of my lifetime, and the testimony of the Spirit of God seems to resonate with my Spirit, that knowing Jesus should put me beyond fear. There is little that man can do to me in comparison with that which the Lord has already done with me. Disease and death may ravage this aging body, but I do not fear disease or death, for that which the Lord has given me is greater. I think of Paul’s declaring: “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” My life, my soul, indeed all of my fortune, is wrapped up in the promise of God. As Paul also observes, “If these things are not true, then we are, of all creatures, most miserable.

But they are true! The atheist says in his heart, and sometimes aloud, there is no God. Scripture says that he is a fool. God looks at their rebellion with a mixed attitude. On the one hand He derides their folly and will condemn, but on the other hand, God has sent His Son into the world for this very reason, that whosoever believeth may come freely to God. I do say freely, but notice I do not say without punishment, for the sins of the world were taken by the Son of God, that all men might have the possibility of pardon, if they will but believe. I can follow my friends right down to their graves with the good news, but past the grave there is nothing that I can do for their salvation. There is nothing that God can do either, for He has done everything already. “He that believeth not is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only begotten of the Father.” What a mercy we have to receive forgiveness right now!

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Location 100962). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Alas, And Did My Savior Bleed

1. Alas, and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?

2. Was it for crimes that I have done,
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut its glories in,
When God, the mighty maker, died
For his own creature's sin.

4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
While his dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

5. But drops of tears can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
'Tis all that I can do.

Lyrics: Isaac Watts

John 6:1-14

2011-12-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Key Observation:
The Bread of Life feeds the 5,000.

Devotion:
John seemingly brings more flavor of the crowds about Jesus. Every time I read John I find Jesus dealing with crowds and multitudes. “But Jesus did not commit himself to any of them, for He knew all men.” It is very interesting to me to see John mentioning these crowds. (John 4:41) “And because of His words many more became believers.” Some, I am sure, had genuine faith in Christ, but I am afraid many liked Jesus for the food He gave them. They were followers of Christ, but were waiting for the first obstacle to fall away. This falling away is precisely what we see in chapter 6, for it says in verse 66, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.”

I think that Jesus made an enormous difference wherever He went. Some were incited, when they saw Jesus, to plan murder. “At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” Others were disappointed in their call. Jesus called the rich young ruler to leave all that he had and to follow Christ. The ruler went away disappointed in the call of Christ. Every single person I read about in the Scripture seems greatly affected by the Messiah.

This is one miracle recorded in all four gospels, and I enjoy seeing the Messiah presented as the Bread of Life. Someone long ago observed that sharing the gospel is merely one beggar telling another beggar where to get bread. There is a great deal of wisdom in that simple platitude. I have found someone who changed my life—is not this the Messiah? I do find it interesting that when fed, the crowd decided that Jesus was the prophet. By this I take it to mean that they thought Jesus was the one to come who was like Elijah—the role we understand John the Baptist to have filled. But he that would come to Christ must understand who He is, and what He came for.

At any rate, the crowd wanted to force kingship upon Him, and He withdrew to a solitary place. Remember how I said John emphasizes crowds and multitudes. He also emphasizes Jesus withdrawing to a private place, often to pray. I find this withdrawal wonderful, for it teaches me that when in the middle of busy ministry, I must find time to withdraw and seek the presence of God. It is not in the crowds of ministry that I will find God, but rather I will find Him as did Elijah, in the still whisper, and there I can cover my face and worship my God, in Spirit and in Truth.

Breathe on Me, Breath of God

1. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

2. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until my will is one with Thine,
To do and to endure.

3. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

4. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

Lyrics: Edwin Hatch

John 5:39 to 47

2011-12-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not honour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Key Observations:
Search the Scriptures for they testify of Jesus.

Devotion:
Actually when I memorized this chapter many years ago, there were a couple of favorite verses that I found. One is verse 18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” But the other is part of today’s text, verse 39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The first I love because it teaches that Jesus was claiming equality with His Father; the second I love because here is defined the whole of what I am to know and believe.

Make no mistake for I do enjoy reading spiritual works by other authors, but I believe that those works must be put under the prism of the Word of God, checking everything against the Scripture to see whether these things be so. The church is full of men who are full of mistakes. I think the history of the church shows ghastly mistakes on the part of many of our Christian fathers, but nowhere do those mistakes become more serious when something is allowed to supersede the Scripture.

I think that many mainline denominations should be checked against the rigor of Scripture—to see whether these things be so. The traditions of men have a way of growing in importance until they begin to do the opposite of their initial design, and pull the believer away from truth. Infant baptism? Where is it in Scripture? Why are we engaging in a doctrine that cannot be found in the Scripture? Many mainline denominations (and even Catholics) have erred by stepping into this doctrine without Scripture backing.

Homosexuality is something being embraced by many of our mainline denominations today, not only approving its practice, but also even beginning to ordain gays. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? If this was the essential question driving churches today, they would not be nearly so tolerant of behavior that is soundly condemned by God. These modernists are all alike—their unspoken thesis is that they know more than God, and their new doctrines set about to correct the record. And the church suffers.

I could go on with about a dozen different issues of the modern church—but they all need to be faced with the same question: Where in the Scripture can I hold to such a practice? I would suggest that if it is not in Scripture, then we need to sharply criticize ourselves for such practice.

In church history, churches have been slow to change for this very reason. And I think that is a good thing. When Moody and Sankey went on their famous tour with an organ along side of them, there were many churches that rejected the instrument out of hand. It was not according to their traditions, and the newness of it frightened parishioners. But as the revival swept the country, many in the pulpit had to go back in the Scriptures to find out why they objected to the organ. Guess what? As they did so, most came to the realization that it was their own traditions which were responsible for keeping musical instruments away from, and things began to change. And, yes, being slow to change is often a good thing!

Today the modern church does the opposite; sometimes with it having devastating effects. The modern pastor may take great pride in being flexible, or in being “out in front” with the changing issues of the time. Unfortunately, at times this leads to putting more sin into the church. Churches so pride themselves in being flexible that no two services are alike, but often what is missed is the time for the individual to really interact corporately with God. And some of those are the better churches. In the worst that our brothers have to offer, God and Christ, sin and salvation, and the basic holy walk before God suffer enormously.

Tozer reminds us what corporate worship should be: “So one hundred worshippers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole Church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life.”

The essence of what Tozer is saying is that the private walk with God, purified, allows great social worship to also take place. Or in other words, revival begins with me. It begins with you. And our focus needs to be where Jesus commanded: “Search the Scriptures for in them ye think that ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.” I do not leave it to our leaders to purify the church. Instead I need to focus on me, the inner man, and test everything in my life, to see whether it fits with the harmony of Scripture. If but a few of us will do that—well, look at what our Lord did through the twelve that walked circumspectly before the Word. And that is exciting news! Revival in me can result in revival in my church and throughout my community. But it begins with examining ourselves in the Word of God.

Tozer, A.W.; Tozer, Aidan; Tozer, Aidan Wilson; Foundation Press, Christian Miracle (2011-01-31). The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer (Special Kindle Enabled Edition with Interactive Table of Contents and Built in Text to Speech Features) (Illustrated) ... | The Writings of Aiden Wilson Tozer of) (Kindle Locations 1023-1026). Christian Miracle Foundation Press. Kindle Edition.

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart

1. Thy Word is a lamp to my feet,
A light to my path alway,
To guide and to save me from sin,
And show me the heav'nly way.

2. Forever, O Lord, is Thy Word
Established and fixed on high;
Thy faithfulness unto all men
Abideth forever nigh.

3. At morning, at noon, and at night
I ever will give Thee praise;
For Thou art my portion, O Lord,
And shall be through all my days!

4. Thro' Him Whom Thy Word hath foretold,
The Savior and Morning Star,
Salvation and peace have been brought
To those who have strayed afar.

Chorus:
Thy Word have I hid in my heart,
That I might not sin against Thee;
That I might not sin, that I might not sin,
Thy Word have I hid in my heart.

Lyrics: Ernest Orlando Sellers

John 5:28-39

2011-12-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Key Observation:
John the Baptist testified of Jesus, but even greater God the Father bears witness.

Devotion:
Jesus is speaking of the two main resurrections. They both appear in Revelation 20. The first is the resurrection of life in verse four: “They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” The second resurrection is also called The Great Throne Judgment, and is found in verse twelve: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.”

There is a third resurrection not spoken of here; it is the Rapture. McGee says: “Rapture” is a good translation of the Greek harpazoµ. Paul used it in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where he says we shall be “caught up,” which means “to be raptured.” Paul teaches much of this additional resurrection in the books of Thessalonians. Paul tells us in the first book that “we are saved from the wrath to come.” He describes this resurrection specifically in chapter four: “15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
A further mention of this rapture is due here. In the second book of Thessalonians, Paul has to reteach the Thessalonians about the coming of the Lord. He carefully articulates to them that the Lord will not return until the man of lawlessness is revealed. (2 Thess. 2) But in the first book, he teaches saints that Jesus is suddenly appearing. But now he is teaching that Jesus is not coming until the man of sin is revealed first. How do we reconcile these different teachings?
It is easily reconciled when we look at two key verses in the first book:
1) 1:10, And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

2) 5:9, For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Twice Paul teaches us that we will not suffer God’s wrath—the tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble. He is sparing us from that wrath; instead we will go to that better place that Jesus is going to prepare for us. (John 14) The answer to the dilemma is that the saints get a “free pass” from the wrath of God and go directly to the place that Jesus has prepared for them. Thus a resurrection happens at the outset of the tribulation that will allow what I call “The Great Escape.” I hope you are planning on taking the great escape. The first step is to start believing God.
The irony of this passage in John is that the Jews thought they knew better. Even with Jesus, they thought they knew he was born in Nazareth; he was not. They thought they knew he was Joseph’s son; he was not. They thought that they knew the scriptures; they did not. They had spent much of their lives studying the scriptures, and when they met the Savior they knew Him not. All of their lives in tragic waste—for when the Son comes they could not even recognize Him.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 100779-100780). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

1. He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

2. He's got the wind and the rain in His hands.
He's got the wind and the rain in His hands.
He's got the wind and the rain in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

3. He's got the little tiny baby in His hands.
He's got the little tiny baby in His hands.
He's got the little tiny bay in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

4. He's got ev'rybody here in His hands.
He's got ev'rybody here in His hands.
He's got ev'rybody here in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

Lyrics: Traditional

John 5:19-27

2011-12-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Key Observation:
This section is part of a larger section (v.19-v.45) where Jesus is establishing his deity and co-equality with the Father.

Devotion:
In this section, John gives us three statements of Jesus prefaced by “verily, verily”. Of the four gospels, John is the only one to use this phrase, though the other gospels will preface the remarks of Jesus with one verily. A good synonym for verily would be really or truly. Transliterated from Greek to English it would be amen, amen. Coming from our Savior, it is a signal that what follows we do need to really listen to.

The first verily, verily states that the Son acts as it were, in the shadow of the Father, doing nothing of Himself, but only what the Father directs. Whatever the Father does, so does the Son likewise.

His second verily, verily signals that those who would follow Jesus need to hear Him, and believe God has sent him. If I do that I will in no way be condemned, but will pass from death unto life.

The third verily, verily tells me that the Son will speak to the dead, and will raise those listening for His voice (or those who hear). When our Lord said, “Lazarus, come forth.”, He needed to limit His call to just Lazarus, or all of the dead of all time would have come forth.

In Matthew 28, Jesus claims that all authority in heaven and earth have been given to Him. In this section of John, He clearly is claiming equality with the Father. The Jewish leaders know fully well what He is claiming, and since it is against their law to claim this, they believed it their duty to begin planning for his demise.

Interestingly, it is John who twice brings the plot of the Jewish leaders to the fore. “49And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;” John 11:49-51) Again in John 18:14, it says: “14Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.” Where did John have his information that others apparently did not have?

I wonder if the answer does not lie in another passage of John: “Because this disciple was known to the High Priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.” (18:15) I think that somehow John was known of the High Priest, and perhaps he had access to have at least heard the infamous prophecy of the High Priest. What a marvel the apostle John was! He walked in the deepest friendship with our Lord, but also was evidently approved of by the High Priest, and all the while, John does not boast of himself. He does not throw himself forward, is evidently quiet, waits until all the other gospels are written, and then decides that there are things left out which God would have us know in a fourth gospel. So when I read John I get excited because John gives me an inside scoop. In a manner of speaking he is the reporter that has the in depth interview. He just knows things that others were only told. What I like most about John is that He points to his friend Jesus, and asks us to consider: “Is this not the Son of God?” Shouldn’t you and I be believing in His name?

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

1. Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee:
Israel's Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the saints Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

2. Born, Thy people to deliver;
Born a child, and yet a King!
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy precious kingdom bring:
By Thine own eternal Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-suficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Lyrics: Charles Wesley

John 5:10-18

2011-12-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Key Observation:
John brings the theme back of Jesus being equal to God.

Devotion:
I laud the miracle, this third work of Jesus, but is it not amazing that Jesus picks one out of the multitude? There is no firm number given to us: the NIV refers to it as a “great number of people”, the KJV refers to it as a “great multitude”. The Greek word is: “plathos”, a word meaning a multitude or a great number. Why one? With one word my Lord could have healed everyone, of that I am certain. I know for a certainty that He loves the world. Why then, did He not? When I look for an explanation, I see none given, and it makes me reflect on the election of God and the sovereignty of His purposes. In John 3, Jesus compared the movement of the Spirit to the wind, which we do not know before it arises, and we know not where it goes.

In the end, I think it relates to the sort of world we see ourselves in. It is an evil world, beyond the ability of this soul to understand. Oh, make no mistake, I have read many books explaining the problem of the goodness of God, and the evil in the world. But with every book I have read, the basic questions are beyond my ken. As J. Vernon McGee quipped: I read a book on the problem of evil and after reading it, I still had the problem of evil. God, who tells us He is sovereign in everything has allowed men to multiply their wickedness beyond measure. He who foreknew us, knew also how close we would come to destroying each other, and neglect the care for His world. More than that, if I reflect on creation, I am forced to conclude that God created Lucifer, knowing full well that Lucifer would become Satan, an evil creature utterly beyond my comprehension.

Over and over, I have been taught that “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all”, and any serious contemplation of our world sees evil “waxing worse and worse”. Yesterday some crazy fellow was shot dead by police officers because he stood in the middle of the road randomly shooting at traffic going by. A lifetime of seeing hideous things going on around my life; a peace that passes understanding because of the presence of the Lord in MY life. These two items do cause inevitable contradictions in my life.

So, what do I know of theodicy- the study of justice and the plain evidence of evil? I do know a basic outline, beyond which is speculation. First of all, I know that God is sovereign and that “His ways are past our finding out”. One of the things that age has taught me, starkly contrasted with my youthful sure knowledge, is that I have no explanation to give to the families I know stuck in a tragedy, or a crisis. I have learned to listen, and to pray for such people, and I have also learned that trying to explain why is hurtful to them, and irrational on my part, for I simply do not know.

I do know that everything will turn out alright in the end—God has promised, and will not be found wanting in anything. I do know that redemption is at hand—for this reason Christ has come, that He might offer Himself to the world as a “propitiation for the sins of the whole world”.

But there are some general outlines of themes that I can glean from the Bible.

Number one: God has invested His worth in mankind, both in making us in His image, and in sending His Son that the world might be offered redemption.

Number two: In comparing our frail and sinful selves to God, it is difficult to know why He should choose to do so. I explain it only by saying it is “grace” or unmerited favor.

Number three: There appears to be a whole heavenly host of angels and creatures in heaven of which I know little about, but I feel that in the whole scheme of heaven we are the least of creatures. But it pleased God to lift men up in the eyes of his heavenly host, to the point that even the angels are said to be in wonder at men.

Number four: There was a rebellion in heaven that resulted in a third of heaven splitting itself from God, and seeking its own way under a leader named originally Lucifer, but now named Satan. That rebellion led to man’s downfall, and the original sin, and that sin nature was passed on to all descendants of men, as Satan tempted man to disobedience.

Number five: The world we are now in is passing away and the evil therein, though long seeming to man, is but a short time in the eternal scheme, but the opportunity for grace is yet extended to the world. Christians preach His grace to sinners, in hopes that some will hear and believe. Of that other world Tozer says: “But we must avoid the common fault of pushing the "other world" into the future. It is not future, but present. It parallels our familiar physical world, and the doors between the two worlds are open.”\

Number six: What we see in this world is thus passing away, as evidently we are not only to be witnesses of the third of heaven in rebellion being disciplined, but also we will be made judges for God, and will be partakers of the eternal and good plan of God.

That the God who created everything and everyone should be mindful of me is overwhelming. That He should come Himself to experience sin, to take my punishment on the cross never ceases be a source of amazement to me. John brings that fact home to me: He, being equal with God, deigned to robe Himself in flesh, and for my sake, endured the weight of the sins of the world upon Himself. The weight of sin broke Him completely, but because He is God, He has forever conquered sin, arising from the dead, and now I am not any longer vanquished from His kingdom, but have been made a partaker of His kingdom both now and forevermore.

Tozer, A.W.; Tozer, Aidan; Tozer, Aidan Wilson; Foundation Press, Christian Miracle (2011-01-31). The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer (Special Kindle Enabled Edition with Interactive Table of Contents and Built in Text to Speech Features) (Illustrated) ... | The Writings of Aiden Wilson Tozer of) (Kindle Locations 625-626). Christian Miracle Foundation Press. Kindle Edition.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

1. Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild;
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph in skies;
With angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

2. Christ by highest heav'n adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord:
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

3. Hail the heav'n born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

Lyrics: Charles Wesley

John 5:1-9

2011-12-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Key Observation:
The type of feast of the Jews in not mentioned. McGee thinks it to be another Passover while Calvin thinks it to be Pentecost.

Devotion:
Early manuscripts do not include verse four, which apparently could be an explanation by a later scribe. When I read the early church fathers, it is amazing to me how much they were given to numerology. Even Aquinas, who quotes almost everyone seems to attach great meaning to what appear to my mind as insignificant numbers. Chrysostom thinks the five porches to have significance, and is given to wildly interpret numbers out of context from rational understanding. Calvin is not quite so wild but is no better, interpreting the women at the well to be “lying” when she told the men of her city “that He told me all that ever I did”. Calvin notes that Jesus did not tell her all that she did, and thus is lying.

But there are great gems to be had from studying these early fathers, if I but have patience. Some of my favorites? Chrysostom: “Let us then set ourselves in order, let us delight in the fear of God; for if we live here without fear of Him, His coming will surprise us suddenly, when we are neither careful, nor looking for Him.” Aquinas: “Yet this is not sufficient since even free will, if it is to be moved to receive grace, needs the help of divine grace, not indeed habitual grace, but movent grace. For this reason, secondly, he gives power by moving the free will of man to consent to the reception of grace, as in “Convert us to yourself, 0 Lord,” by moving our will to your love, “and we will be converted” (Lam 5:21).” Calvin: “And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers.” And McGee? Let me commend his fine outline of the book of John. I think it well worth your attention, if you are at all studying the book of John. Here is his fine outline of chapter one: “This first chapter of John’s gospel has been lengthy and extremely important. The prologue presents the incarnation of the Word—He is God, He became flesh, He reveals the Father. Then He is introduced by witnesses. John the Baptist testifies that Jesus is the revealer of God. Andrew testifies that Jesus is the Messiah. Philip testifies that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament. Nathanael witnesses that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel.”

But as to this section of chapter five, I will note that Jesus directly gave the lame man a command to take up his bed and walk. I wonder why, because it seems that Jesus was using the healing to deliberately raise the opposition of the Jews. The Jews did get aroused, and berated the man for taking up his bed on a Sabbath. I do note that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and perhaps He wanted to deliberately raise this issue with the Jews. Did God intend the Sabbath to exclude good things? Perhaps Jesus was trying to present the truth of the Sabbath for the Jews to reconsider.

John does teach us that Jesus gave his life willingly; no man took His life. It is wonderful to consider the all-sovereign God come in the flesh, and able to control even those who hated Him the most until the right moment came, the moment that He chose, and that not of his enemies. When I reflect on the power of God, I see that all in my world will come to pass just exactly as He has ordained, and that as it says in Psalm Two, He will laugh at those who plot against Him.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 100047-100050). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Calvin, John (2009-06-03). Commentary on John - Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Calvin's Commentaries) (Kindle Locations 2156-2157). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

St Thomas Aquinas (2010-04-15). Commentary of The Gospel of St John (Kindle Locations 1328-1331). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

Chrysostom, St. John (2010-09-06). Homiles on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews (Kindle Locations 8226-8227). B&R Samizdat Express. Kindle Edition.

Hallelujah Chorus

1. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign forever and ever,
Forever and ever, forever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords, and Lord of lords,
And He shall reign, and He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever, and Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Lyrics: George Frederick Handel

John 4:42-54

2011-12-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.
45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

Key Observation:
John recounts the second miracle which Jesus did.

Devotion:
I am thinking of the many TV evangelists that I have seen over the years. Without wanting to paint them all with the same brush, what I have seen (and I am not a regular watcher) is depressing. In past decades I saw some who professed to heal before the cameras, and in the sight of all. Now, do not get me wrong—I absolutely believe in a God who can and does heal our infirmities, and will do so totally at a future date. But these healings on TV are just too much for me—call me skeptical.

I have seen many of these evangelists flying about the world in their private jets, and the lessons of Matthew six come home to me. What are the lessons of Matthew six? The whole theme of chapter six is doing your good in secret before God, not before men. “When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.” (Mt. 6:2) “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Mt. 6:5)

My skepticism of those evangelists emanates from a study of this chapter. Can I not say that these men are already rewarding themselves? The Bible teaches that there are wolves in sheep’s clothing, and these sheep do howl a bit too much for my comfort. The one exception that I do know about is Billy Graham—to avoid even the appearance of evil, he would draw but a regular salary, and refused again and again to ride in a limousine when being whisked to his next crusade. I have appreciated his ministry, perhaps not the least because my own mother was present at one of his early crusades, and did receive Christ there.

Contrast our Lord with the glittering evangelists. What did He do when asked to perform a miracle? The nobleman pleads for his son; Jesus replies that you will not believe unless you see signs. Remember that this second miracle is done near the first miracle in Cana of Galilee. The people had seen Jesus, and had positively responded towards him. I can imagine an TV evangelist today, if he were going to perform a miracle. First and foremost he would want a crowd about him for all to see. The television cameras would be focused with close ups on the healed child, and undoubtedly twenty men would be in the crowd to pass the offering basket, and the television screen would sandwich nicely to a large print donation screen.

“Go thy way. Thy son liveth.” That was it! What a contrast in humility! What an object lesson for those of us who desire to be used of God. In reading of Billy Graham’s history, I read about his refusal to ever be alone in a room with a woman. The rule became known as “the Billy Graham rule”. It is that sort of modesty and desire for righteousness that should lead every one of us.

But look for a moment at the faith of the nobleman. “Come down ere my child die,” was his plea. I wonder if one of the things Jesus might have been doing here is showing the faith of the nobleman. I am reminded again of Naaman, the foreigner with leprosy, who came to Elisha (2 Kings 5) to be healed. Elisha did not bother to go and meet with Naaman, instead sending a messenger with a letter, commanding Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman got angry and almost left, but was urged to trust the message, and followed Elisha’s instructions, and was healed.

Here is my Lord and my King, effectually telling the nobleman that since He did not have time, that “thy son liveth”. Does the faith of the nobleman not come out for us all to see? He, turning and going his own way, finds that the miracle of God happened not in the powerful wind, nor yet in a mighty earthquake, nor yet in a fierce fire, but rather in the whisper of my Lord: “Go thy way. Thy son liveth.”

So it is with me. I have dramatic times in my life where God intercedes in a miraculous fashion for me, my Mount Carmels where the Lord uses me for sweet victory. But where is it that I must worship? Where is it that I come as close to God as I am going to, this side of heaven? It is in His still small voice. Like Elijah, when I hear His whisper, I must bow my head and worship, for God Himself is closest to me at those times. My heart fills with wonder at knowing Him, and His knowing me. What a wonderful God I serve!

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

1. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

2. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

3. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God's dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven,
For all eternity;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Chorus:
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus,
Praise His Name!

Lyrics: Haldor Lillenas

John 4:39-42

2011-12-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Key Observation:
“He told me all that ever I did.”

Devotion:
Verse 28 is translated such by NIV: “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people.” The word “people” here is from the Greek word: “anthropos” and it is first translated as man, but its second translation could be “people”. In the KJV the translators translated it as “men”, something I think might better fit the context. I understand that NIV sometimes tries to simplify and neuter gender references. Here I feel they made a clear mistake. The woman, I think, had not much influence over the women of the village; she had had five husbands, and was now living with another man. I do think the story probably is best understood as the woman going to the men of the village (she apparently felt quite comfortable around them), and some of them were willing to receive her testimony and come see the Messiah themselves.

I find it credible to think that the woman has so tainted her testimony by her life that she was limited severely to a smaller audience. She spoke to “men”, many of whom came to hear because of her testimony, and evidently many who would not believe such an incredible testimony were yet curious enough to “come and see for themselves”. I find it very interesting that Jesus began this revival, for that is what it was, with perhaps the worst of all people in the whole village. He knew the witness of such a person would be severely compromised. Why did He do it thus?

I can think of several reasons:
1. God looks at the heart, and Jesus certainly saw into the heart of the woman.
2. God knows which of those He calls will believe: “For we were known before the foundation of the world.”
3. The woman knew her sin—look at the way she confesses to Jesus. Compare with the
rich young ruler whom Jesus did love and called to follow. The rich young ruler
went back to his riches rather than answer the call.
4. The woman saw her need for the Living Water. Jesus calls many, but few are chosen.
5. Jesus came to sinners, not to save those who thought they were righteous.

Somehow within that divine election and sovereignty, God allows people to choose whether or not they are going to follow God. The whole tone of Scripture necessitates this choice, and the commands to repent and believe could scarcely be given to men unable to respond. Confusion arises in the hearts of many believers when told that belief is a work, and that we are not saved from works. The Scripture is very clear on that: “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.” In no way is believing God a work. In fact it is the antithesis to work, since one of the central things men are told by God is that they are unable utterly to save themselves. What are they called to do? Believe God. And how shall I believe God, except that He Himself reveals Himself to me? To God lies all sovereignty, and in His sovereigness He has given the world the command to believe. We are told in John that men prefer darkness to light, and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

“He told me all that ever I did”. What a powerful statement! Day before yesterday, I wrote briefly about God’s imparting swift knowledge to me in seconds. It was in answer to my prayer: “God, if you are really there, can you show yourself to me?” In the space of a few seconds I was able to see back into my life, and how many times God had intruded into my life, helping, aiding, and quietly testifying to mostly deaf ears. He indeed loved me before I loved Him.

I love the opportunity to share who Jesus is with people. Even more, I love teaching the Word of God, because it is the “power of God to all who believe”. It is my hope and prayer that we may yet have enough time left for revival to fall on His people, and that with that revival, we may also see another “great awakening”. We are getting a new church building that is rather too big for our needs. Would it not be a wonderful thing if God was in the process right now of reviving us, and bringing a fruitful harvest to Elk Grove?

I Love to Tell the Story

1. I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love:
I love to tell the story
Because I know 'tis true;
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do.

2. I love to tell the story;
'Tis pleasant to repeat
What seems each time I tell it,
More wonderfully sweet:
I love to tell the story,
For some have never heard
The message of Salvation
From God's own holy Word.

3. I love to tell the story;
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it, like the rest:
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
'Twill be the old, old story
That I have loved so long.

Chorus:
I love to tell the story,
'Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story of
Jesus and His love.

Lyrics: Arabella Catherine Hankey

John 4:27-38

2011-12-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Key Observation:
A lot of the times in my life when things happen that I do not understand, I later find out that the plan of God was present. I find out that He was really telling me, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.”

Devotion:
I find in reading this passage that John may be avoiding mention of himself, as he does in other places in the gospel. It says that “his disciples” marveled that he talked with the woman. That does not make me think of John particularly, but the next phrase does. It says no one questioned why Jesus was talking with a Samaritan woman. I understand from my reading the Jews considered talking with a Samaritan woman to be against the law. The next phrase says that no disciple questioned Him as to why He was talking to the woman. That is the phrase that makes me think especially of John, and perhaps not of Peter.

John was the faithful disciple—the one who got the message that Jesus was trying to deliver, whatever it was. It was he who, being quiet, and unwilling to put himself forward, would look at what the Lord was teaching, and get understanding. I believe we see that discernment in John’s writings. Except for Paul, John would be the one to teach us the most about our Christ, as he was the one who understood the most about Jesus. In John’s gospel he frequently refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Notice these scriptures from a concordance:
1.John 13:23
Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
John 19:26
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

2.John 20:2
Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

3.John 21:7
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

4.John 21:20
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

Whoever it was with Jesus on that day, they seemed to understand that something important was going on, and this became verifiable as the disciples saw a whole village coming out to listen to Jesus and many believed. I do think that John was there, understanding from the beginning the motives of His Lord. They beseech Him to eat, knowing that He was in need of food, and his reply has rung throughout the annals of history, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.”
He then explains that His “meat” is to do the will of the Father. Has it not been so throughout the last 2,000 years? To study our church fathers and to know how the ebb and flow of history sharpened and diminished the message of God is fascinating. How God sent saints like Patrick to Ireland, and William Carey to India, and how God brought revival to America through George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, and how God brought revival to England through Charles Spurgeon and John Wesley, and how again God renewed America through D. L. Moody, and later Billy Graham. I do not think that anyone can understand history at all without understanding how God used the proclamation of men to a dying world. For that reason, I like reading about these men, understanding the problems they faced, and savoring the victories that they had in Christ. There are many places in history where I see God’s handiwork crafting out His body of believers, where He has meat to eat that I know not of.
Say not ye there are four months and then cometh harvest. Early in my Christian life, God seemed to make this verse come alive in both my life and my wife’s. We saw a fruitful and abundant ministry where God placed His special hand on us, and allowed us to participate in a bountiful harvest. I remember walking into a youth pastorate campout one weekend, and watching 16 young people come to Christ at the same time. Did I do any of the sowing? No, others had sowed faithfully with the Word of God in these children’s lives. I entered into their labors, and together we rejoiced in an abundant harvest. What a special time were those years at college and seminary! God seemingly would just take us from place to place where we were allowed to watch revival break out and renewal as people gave their lives over to Christ. Together we rejoiced that the Lord had used us abundantly for His purpose!
One day soon we will see the results of our historical fathers; I believe that we do not know how connected we are to other generations. I watch my wife, whose family goes back, unlike mine, with many examples of believers. Do you know she can go back several generations with fair confidence, and know that her ancestors were often Christian? Imagine what will happen when we all come together. I will be able to go back many generations, and see the handiwork of God working, and be able to trace just how God brought the Word to me. I will be able to see a closeness to ancestors that I know not today. Or perhaps not? Perhaps I will be so filled with the joy of knowing my Savior that all else will not matter. We will be one family with one God.

Nothing Compares

Everything right
Everything beautiful is you
The good that I am
Is just a reflection of you too

Even the best this world can do
Will never be close to what I’ve found in you

Nothing I have compares to you
Nothing I have compares to you, to you

I’m seeking your light
Shine through my life and lead the way
Come help me stand
Against the distractions of the day

Even the best this world can do
Will never be close to what I’ve found in you

Nothing I have compares to you
Nothing I have compares to you, to you
Nothing I have compares to you, Lord to you
No Nothing I have compares to you, to you

I’ve searched this world far and wide
And found the truth that’s changed my life
These things I buy these things I do
None can take the place of you

Nothing compares, no nothing compares

Nothing I have compares to you, no nothing
Nothing I have compares to you, to you
Nothing I have compares to you

Lord to you, to you , to you
Lord nothing compares
To you , to you , to you
Lord nothing compares

John 4:20-26

2011-12-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Key Observation:
God is a Spirit, but must be worshipped truly. No sincere person is given credit for sincerity of misplaced worship; God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Devotion:
Salvation is of the Jews, said Jesus. What did He mean? Was he not rejecting the Jews and their wrongness in interpreting the Law? The answer, I think, lies in the person of Jesus Himself. All along Jesus was the prophesied Messiah. Salvation is of the Jews, and Jesus was born of the Jews. I can never understand the mindset of people claiming to be Christian with a bias against Jews. What are they thinking? If not for the Jews, we would not have our Savior. He is our salvation, a future help, but also a very present help in the time of trouble.

I do find it very interesting that Jesus tells the woman that perilous times were coming when neither the Samaritans nor the Jews would be allowed to worship. But it was not until nearly 600 years after Christ spoke these words that they came to pass. Who could have seen the arising of Moslems, with their total annihilation of both Jews and Christians? Most of the people living in the US are probably not aware just how deep the hatred of Moslems is for the Jews. Every constitution of every country around Israel has written in the constitution the destruction and annihilation of Israel. There is no land for peace being offered; many Moslems are just waiting for the chance to wipe out Israel totally. Who shall stand for Israel on that day? Not any other country. Every country on all sides will try to converge on her, bent on her total destruction. It is only the Lord, stepping in at the last moment, who will again save and readopt the wayward Israel.

God wants us to come to Him in truth. I think back on His calling of me, and the vision given me (no, I am not the sort to have visions all the time, and I only talk about this one). Somehow, when a multitude of other Christians, unknown to me, were praying for me, just at that moment, the hand of God seemed to touch me. I had become interested enough because, of the testimony of two Christians, to read Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Nahum. These two Christians had witnessed at great length about these books and I wanted to check them out. Reading such things is definitely not the common way in which common people come to Christ, yet when I finished reading most of what I could not understand, I felt compelled to pray: “Oh God, if you are really there, would you reveal Yourself to me?”

His Hand touched me in the most marvelous fashion. Within seconds of His answer, I saw the multitude of times earlier in my life when He had worked to bring me to Him. There was not a doubt in my mind of what I had seen being completely from Him. Overwhelmed I bowed my head and gave myself to Him. I did not understand, scarcely at all, what He was offering me in terms of sin and salvation. I did know that I was wrong, deeply wrong, and that I needed to agree with God that I had been going the wrong way. But I came to Him on the basis of knowing from His revelation that He was Truth, and that I needed to reorient my life and expectations totally toward Him. Actually it was soon afterward I began to learn the Christian terms about sin and the need for repentance. I knew that I had sinned, and I knew that I had repented, though at the time, those were not the words I would have used since I knew them not.

I was quite a strong minded young man, and had already oriented much of my life on the assumption that God probably did not exist, and even if He did, He would do very little in the lives of people. Now suddenly I was completely overwhelmed with His love and concern. I knew He cared for me. But what is really interesting to me now is that I knew Him first as Truth, something my own father has always brought me up to respect. All of a sudden I was face to face with revealed Truth, and I had to deal with it.

I remember that as I stopped my crying a bit that I realized what a change this would bring about in my life. My friends would despise me (many did), my teachers would ridicule my beliefs (many did), and my own family (most did not) would not understand what had happened inside of me. I can remember thinking at that moment, considering alternatives. I mused that I could just pretend that it never happened to me, that I could just go on somehow acting as if it had never happened. But for the first time I knew Truth, and walking away from that, even in the face of coming derision, seemed like a very poor choice to me.

I was not even aware that I had been given eternal life until I read it in the Scripture later that week. I remember seeing the promise and believing, thinking that eternal life was a pretty neat bonus that I had not even countenanced. I found out about my sin nature, my need to repent, and the challenge to walk with God through the power of the Holy Spirit LATER. My impetus to come to God was based upon His revealing His Word was truth, and that I should believe it. For that reason, this verse: “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth”, has always had great meaning towards me. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” It fell to me to first appreciate Him as the Great Truth. “I that speak unto thee am He.”

There is great power in the Word of God, as the Spirit will give it to you. There is great power in prayer, if those who are about you will attend faithfully to prayer. What a great God we serve, a God calling us, wooing us, and giving some of us (me) much more attention than we deserve. I think that is why I have always had a deep love of the Word, for was it not the Word which God used to work in my hard heart? And I think that is the reason that I have always had the highest regard for prayer. Did He not answer my feeble plea? Were not others steadfastly holding me up in prayer to God? I have a God who thinks of me, who cares when I stray, and who has provided for me fully in every way. Isn’t it neat to look forward to spending eternity with Him?

Blessed Assurance

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight:
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest:
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Chorus:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Lyrics: Frances Jane (Fanny J.) Crosby

John 4:12-19

2011-12-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Key Observation:
The woman thirsts for Living Water and confesses.

Devotion:
The woman is intrigued by Jesus’ offer of Living Water. She may be a bit defensive about her background as compared to the Jews, for she reminds Jesus that they both had Jacob as their father, and that he gave them the well. Jesus refuses to argue, rather pointing to the kind of water He is offering is better even than that from the well.

I find it remarkable the woman knows she thirsts for this water. Perhaps all her life she was looking for a better answer, something to complete her life. Now in the middle of a dreary task, drawing water, she finds an offer of water from which she would never thirst again. Does she understand Jesus is speaking metaphorically? I find her response remarkably quick, and I feel at some point along here she realizes this man is making a great spiritual point to her.

Later in this passage, Jesus teaches about the harvest which others have sowed and we are reaping. I think it is no accident that He teaches this subsequent to talking with the woman. This woman, I believe, was ripe spiritually and ready to pluck for harvest. For this we are told, Jesus “must needs go through Samaria”. I wonder why this story does not appear in the other gospels. Perhaps part of the reason was that the other writers were emphasizing Jesus’ offer as a king to Israel. But I think the other part of the reason has to do with the purpose of John: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)

John, writing his gospel long after the others, has time to consider the whole purpose of the Messiah, and tends to remember and record the things that show Christ as the Savior of the world. Also, I cannot help but wonder if John was there with Jesus and some of the others were absent. This would account for John’s inclusion of the story.

Jesus reveals knowledge that He should not know; He knows that she has had five husbands and is living with someone now. She at once guesses the Jesus is a prophet. Is that not a mistake of today? Do not many tell us that Jesus was a grand fellow, and a good teacher, but they leave it at that? Jesus knows the heart of the woman, and replies to her that the Jews have the outer shell of true worship, that this is the truth which God has imparted to men.

The woman then, I think, brings up the name of the Christ, almost as if she were already willing to believe that Jesus was the Christ. “I that speak unto thee am He”. And she believes. God has come in the flesh to rescue the lost and save them for the eternal purposes of Himself. That is the gospel, and the news is not going ever to be better than that!

Behold the Saviour of Mankind

1. Behold the Saviour of mankind
Nailed to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined
To bleed and die for thee!

2. Though far unequal our low praise
To Thy vast sufferings prove,
O Lamb of God, thus all our days,
Thus will we grieve and love.

3. Hark, how He groans! while nature shakes,
And earth's strong pillars bend;
The temple's veil in sunder breaks,
The solid marbles rend.

4. 'Tis done! the precious ransom's paid,
"Receive my soul," He cries!
See where He bows His sacred head!
He bows His head, and dies!

5. But soon He'll break death's envious chain,
And in full glory shine:
O Lamb of God! was ever pain,
Was ever love, like thine?

6. Thy loss our ruin did repair;
Death by death is slain;
Thou wilt at length exalt us where
Thou dost in glory reign.

Lyrics: Samuel Wesley, Sr.

John 4:11-19

2011-12-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Key Observation:
Coming part way to knowing Jesus is not enough; it is vital to know Him as John presents him: Savior and King.

Devotion:
Right away I see that the woman at the well is spiritually intrigued by what Jesus is saying. She speaks to Him, but after Jesus spoke to her, an act considered against the Law. McGee compares her to Nicodemus: “What a contrast she is to the man, Nicodemus, we saw in the preceding chapter. And notice how differently our Lord deals with her. With Nicodemus, a man who was religious to his fingertips, our Lord was harsh and blunt, but see how gentle He is with this woman. He asks a favor of her. He appeals to her sympathy—He is thirsty and asks for a drink.” He probably would have had to look a very long while to find someone lower in the social order. She has had five husbands and the man she is now living with is not her husband.

With Nicodemus we find him asking Jesus questions like: “How can a man be born when he is old?” Jesus upbraids Nicodemus for not understanding the basics of spirituality, because his point of great pride was in understanding his religion. On the other hand, there is nothing that is pretend righteousness about the woman; she is honest to a fault for she confesses freely her lifestyle. I notice the quick accumulation of respect the woman has for Jesus. She starts with impudent answers to His question, but as He draws her in, she begins addressing Him as “Sir”, then after Jesus makes a remark about her five husbands, she quickly promotes Him to “Prophet”. Very quickly she alludes to the Messiah, catching perhaps the great wonders of what Jesus is saying. I notice that she is the one who brings up the Messiah. Was she already watching for the Messiah? I think so, but at any rate, she is quick to bring up the subject. Jesus effectually answers what I think she is already guessing: “I that speak unto thee am He.” And she believes!

He offers her the living water, a water which she quickly asks for, and in her asking, I think she shows her willingness to believe. At this point of openness, Jesus brings her to realize her sin—she confesses freely about her deviant lifestyle. She has both believed and confessed—agreed with God that her way is not the proper way. What does she do? She goes into the town, and begins to bring other people to hear the Word of Jesus. What a marvel! This lady is a believer for just a few minutes and she is already working to bring her village to the Lord.

What of Nicodemus? God is not through with Nicodemus. I heard someone today declare that once God starts a work of conviction, He will not rest until completion. How untrue! Have you not seen many people convicted of their own sin, of the righteousness of God? I see the Billy Graham Crusades on television, and am so grateful to watch people coming forward to be saved. But what of the thousands who hear and do not come forward? Are they hearing the Word of God? Are they convicted? Jesus himself teaches of the job of the Holy Spirit: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt, in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8, italics mine) It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of evil—a job which He not only performs very ably, but also a job which is worldwide. Do all come to Christ? The answer we see is quite evident, but is told us earlier in John: “Men love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

I think of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus, who bade him to sell all he had and follow Jesus. Was he not convicted of the righteousness of Christ? His question to Jesus showed that he saw something: “Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” He was willing to follow Jesus, to follow the Law, but in the end, he chooses to keep his wealth. Luke tells us important information left out in Matthew: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” But Mark puts something in his gospel left out in both Luke and Matthew: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Here is God come in the flesh, looking at a man with love, teaching and convicting him toward the gospel—and the young ruler turns Jesus down. I submit that this is a clear case of conviction not leading to salvation.

But Nicodemus was of a different sort. In him, as I freely admit happened in me, Jesus’ words came back again and again to convict him. I do believe that Jesus was speaking to a responsive heart in chapter three, and I think Nicodemus showed that responsiveness in his subsequent behavior. There is considerable evidence that Nicodemus became a secret believer—something akin to what I see happening in Moslem countries, and in China today.

Notice:
50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? (John 7:50)
I see in this passage, Nicodemus taking the high road and using his influence to try to protect the Lord. I think it is because he is a secret believer.

Notice:
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. (John 19:38-40)

Here I see Nicodemus again trying to do what is right by Jesus. Is there enough Biblical evidence to call Nicodemus a believer? God only knows, for I surely do not. But I think the evidence is compelling that Jesus had sharply affected his life, whether to salvation or not is best left in the hands of the Judge. I find it compelling that John gives us the great chapter, perhaps the greatest in all of Scripture, as the words of salvation to a religious leader whose life subsequently appears greatly changed.

It says: “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think that ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me, yet ye refuse to come to me that ye might have life.” (John 5:39,40) God will judge you one day and it will be one on simple question: Did you believe God or not? Notice here the words of Jesus, “ye refuse”. I do not know how he could put it plainer. Involved in the election of man is very much the drawing of God himself. The people who refuse to believe are condemned already, “because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Could it be any plainer than this? “32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” All men. All men are convicted. The Holy Spirit unceasingly does His work in many ways. But men love darkness. Romans 1:18 tells us they suppress the truth by their wickedness. Men are held responsible for their choices. But it is never to my God that I may lay a charge of holding me responsible for something for which I had no choice—whether to the good or bad. Those who overemphasize choice or election cannot avoid diminishing the gospel in one area for the sake of harmonizing gospel in another.

Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Have you believed God? As for me and my house, we will believe the God who commanded us to believe and has drawn us to Him through His Spirit. All praise be to God!

Christ For the World We Sing

1. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With loving zeal
The poor, and them that mourn,
The faint and overborne,
Sinsick and sorrow-worn,
For Christ to heal.

2. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With fervent prayer
The wayward and the lost,
By restless passions tossed,
Redeemed at countless cost
From dark despair.

3. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With one accord
With us the work to share,
With us reproach to dare,
With us the cross to bear,
For Christ our Lord.

4. Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring
With joyful song
The newborn souls whose days,
Reclaimed from error's ways,
Inspired with hope and praise,
To Christ belong.

Lyrics: Samuel Wolcott

John 4:1-10

2011-12-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
2(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Key Observation:
We all need to partake of the Living Water.

Devotion:
Calvin points out: “For this reason Christ, when he first sends the Apostles to proclaim the Gospel, forbids them to turn aside to the Samaritans, (Matthew 10:5.)” Matthew 10: 5 is very interesting, for to me, it makes the case of the Dispensationalist quite nicely: “5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” I must understand that when Jesus first came, He came as the king of Israel, and He was the prophesied King who was to rule over Israel. The first part of Jesus’ ministry is best interpreted as belonging to the Jews, though, as in all Scripture, I can find applications for my life.

For instance, Matthew is full of content specifically for the Jews. Matthew 10:5 shows Jesus’ intention is for the Jews. In Matthew 15 Jesus is approached by the Canaanite woman, asking for help for her possessed daughter. “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’” (Matt. 15:24) Matthew is of course emphasizing the kingliness of Jesus, and he does that throughout his book. Matthew 5 through 7 is where the Sermon on the Mount is, and people are forever guilty at looking at this passage and interpreting it to mean commands for the Christian. Chafer points out that many of the commands here are repeated later, and thus can apply to the Christian life. But it is not direct application, rather they are passages that resound the commands later given specifically to Christians.

The disciples’ prayer is routinely recited in many of our churches today, and most Christians would be surprised to note that it is a prayer not given to us. Notice the end of the prayer in Matthew 6:15: “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” This verse teaches something absolutely contrary to the doctrine of grace. Does it really mean what it says—for the Christian? Is it saying that if I do not forgive others the Father will not forgive me? Does that not negate the whole doctrine of faith? I am told in John that I have forgiveness on the basis of belief, faith in God and what He did through His Son. Now am I to believe that if I do not forgive others, I will perish? That is absolutely contrary to Scripture!

This verse is illustrative of what I am trying to show; there are many others in the Sermon on the Mount, that if taken as written and applied to Christians directly, do not seem to square with other doctrines. But all of those problems disappear when I look at the timeline of the Sermon on the Mount. It was before Jesus had been rejected as King. It was before the cross, which the book of John makes so apparent, was the real purpose for which the Lamb of God was sent. In this passage, Jesus is teaching the rules of the Old Testament as they ought to have been understood. Those in the audience were undoubtedly surprised at many of the teachings, but they understood well the premises on which they were based.
Is there application for me in Matthew 6:15? Yes, there is. I need to understand that there is a principle of forgiveness here. If I do not forgive, I am breeding contempt and hatred for my fellow man in my heart, and the Christian life should never do that. One day I will judge the world, but not from the mental framework which I have now. I am simply unable to be a righteous judge, for I do not know all or see everything. In John 3, I learned that the Spirit is likened to the wind, going where it will, and its path cannot be known by man. Paul was one such enigma. Who could have foreseen that such a man would turn into a Christian? I wonder how many Christians were praying for him, forgiving him and holding his soul up to the Father, asking God to grant him faith and repentance. I think those Christians must be there, though the Scripture certainly does not tell us so. What a wonderful application to my life! So long as I understand it as application, and do not negate the doctrine of grace.

Contrast the theme of John with Matthew. Matthew presents his King; John presents the Savior of the world. Now look at the passage of John 4, which I am starting comments on today. John alone, out of all the gospels, tells us of the story of the woman at the well. Why John and not Matthew? I would suggest that Matthew was trying to emphasize the Jewishness of our King, while John is letting us know that Jesus was even concerned about a people the Jews found beneath contempt—the Samaritans.

Says Calvin: “Christ now, availing himself of the opportunity, begins to preach about the grace and power of his Spirit, and that to a woman who did not at all deserve that he should speak a word to her. This is certainly an astonishing instance of his goodness.” I agree! Not only did Christ go to what was thought of as the “rotten Samaritans”, but He seemingly picked from the worst of the lot. “Thou hast well said thou hast no husband, for thou hast had five husbands, and he who thou now hast is not thy husband.” Who could have walked up to a stranger and said such a startling thing? I think the woman began at that point to try to categorize Christ, probably recognizing that He was at least a prophet.
Soon in the conversation, Christ offers himself as the Living Water. I compare that to the names John has used thus far:
1) Jesus is the Word John 1:1
2) Jesus is the Light of the world. 1:9
3) Jesus is the Lamb of God. 1:29
4) Jesus is the King of Israel 1:49
5) Jesus is Living Water 4:10

With the exception of number four, does not the list seem to emphasize the Savior of the world? I will see this pattern continue to unfold as John uses other names to describe Jesus. Interestingly, John seems to avoid the name of Christ in his book; he uses Jesus much more often. (Jesus appears 234 times while Christ appears only 19 times.) I would suggest again that the close friendship that John had with Jesus might be the reason why this is.

What is the Living Water? So many things from the Bible come to me at this point. Does not Revelation speak of water that we shall drink and never thirst again? It seems to be a literal river, flowing east and west out of Jerusalem. But I also think of the properties of water showing the Triune God. Does not water appear in three forms, naturally and frequently in our world? It was, for me, in first considering the properties of water, that I saw the reasonableness of the First Cause argument. Water freezes at 32 degrees. But why? Why not 80 degrees? If it varied its freezing point but a bit, life would not be possible on earth. Consider the boiling point at 212 degrees. What if it boiled at 160 degrees? Again I think that life would not exist on earth, if it were not for the properties that water has. And why should water have those properties if we live in a truly random universe?

This argument for water can be extended to all of the other elements we find occurring around the earth. Many of them have properties that favor the existence of life, yet men do not see it, “for they loved the darkness, because their deeds were evil.” The Scripture reminds me: “(Romans 1:20)For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Truly the creation argues not randomness, but purpose, and purpose will point me to the Creator. The Living Water.

Calvin, John (2009-06-03). Commentary on John - Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Calvin's Commentaries) (Kindle Locations 2568-2570). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.
Calvin, John (2009-06-03). Commentary on John - Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Calvin's Commentaries) (Kindle Locations 2545-2547). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

Like a River Glorious

1. Like a river glorious
Is God's perfect peace,
Over all victorious
In its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth
Fuller ev'ry day,
Perfect, yet it groweth
Deeper all the way.

2. Hidden in the hollow
Of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow,
Never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry,
Not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry
Touch the spirit there.

3. Ev'ry joy or trial
Falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial
By the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully
All for us to do
They who trust Him wholly
Find Him wholly true.

Chorus:
Stayed upon Jehovah,
Hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised,
Perfect peace and rest.

Lyrics: Frances Ridley Havergal

John 3:19-33

2011-12-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Key Observation:
I applaud McGee’s comment on John the Baptist: “He is the last of the Old Testament prophets who walks out of the Old Testament onto the pages of the New Testament to announce the coming of the Messiah.”

Devotion:
McGee also says of this passage that John the Baptist shows not a jealous bone in his body. Look at what John says when his disciples were showing jealousy over the fact that Jesus seemed to be taking all of the disciples away from John. Remember that John the Baptist had lost two disciples in the first chapter, John and Andrew, who each also got their brothers involved. Perhaps, even probably, the brothers were also aware of John the Baptist, and were also disciples of John. Naturally the disciples remaining to John watched the loss of their brethren and expressed natural human disdain for what was happening.
These things John, the last of the OT prophets, said:
1) A man receives nothing but what is given him from heaven. v. 27
2) I am not the Christ; I am sent before him. v.28
3) He that has the bride is the bridegroom, and I rejoice for the bridegroom. v.29
4) He must increase but I must decrease. v. 30
5) He that cometh from above is above all. v. 31
6) What he hath seen and heard, that he testifies. v. 32
7) He that receives his testimony believes God and what God says is true v. 33
8) Christ speaks the words of God, for He has all of God’s Spirit v. 34
9) The Father loves Jesus and has put all things in His hand. v. 35
10) John concludes that believing the Son will give life, but refusal to believe results in the anger of God.

There is one work which I must do; that work is to give up all my attempts to redeem myself, for only God can do that. I must believe God. I must believe that Jesus died for my sins on that cross, that once for all, all the sins of the world were judged, with the single condition for salvation remaining, that I believe God has done this. It is finished!

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 100402-100403). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

1. O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

2. Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conquerors we are!

3. His Word shall not fail you He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Chorus:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Lyrics: Helen Howarth Lemmel

John 3:9-21

2011-12-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

John 3:9-21

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Key Observation:
The light is come into the world, but the world knows it not, because they prefer to walk in darkness.

Devotion:
I did not take the time yesterday to tell how much I appreciate this chapter. John is my favorite book, and early in my Christian life, the Spirit had me memorizing much of it. My Lord, in all his functions as Savior and Lord, as King and Ruler over men, as a man obedient unto death on the cross, is strongly presented in this book. But the best presentation of our Lord is given here in this chapter. It is a favorite portion of scripture for me. John 3:16 has been called the miniature gospel, with good reason, but the verses immediately following it are most precious to building a doctrine of who Jesus is and why He came.

Yesterday I learned the Spirit is likened to the wayward wind, which comes and goes where it will, and so is the Spirit in coming to men to bring them to Christ. Now I learn that even though the Spirit goes where He will and causes some to be reborn, a part of that rebirth process is the individual believing God. Many arguments are made about these verses, but I think they are fairly and simply presented. I think they need to be read as written.

The Spirit chooses whom He will, so verse 8 tells me. That is God’s election and sovereignty. That is the part that He does, but it is by no means the whole of the story. “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.” The verse is referencing Numbers 21, where it says: “The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” (verse 8) The passage clearly makes life and healing available to anyone, if they will but look. What work are they doing? None at all, I would respond, since the work was done by Moses and the Lord. Not one jot or tiddle of credit would the person get who looked at the serpent on the cross. But they would get life and health.

I can imagine, though the Bible does not tell us, that there were a few hard-heads who refused to look, not believing and refusing to do the one condition laid down for their salvation. I do think such a person might have wrongly reasoned that such a thing could never help, and instead hid in his tent in his bed until the poison had done its work. What a beautiful picture God gives us of his grace here; just as those in Numbers got grace from looking to the cross, so we also must look to the cross for the only grace possible. Without looking we shall surely die!

The empty cross is what I notice as I look. The empty tomb. The resurrected Lord reigns, victorious over the power of sin to poison me. Nothing in this universe, or outside of it for that matter, will separate me from the Love of God. McGee well asks us to note in John 3:16 that God did not save the world by love, rather because He loved us He GAVE. That is grace, unmerited favor. Who is it available to? In spite of many of my friends’ answer, who would to limit His grace to just those who would receive it, it is totally and completely unlimited. It is offered to every man, every woman, every child in this world.

The problem is that not everyone will look to the cross and be saved. John tells us that the Father sent in the world his Son, not to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved. But men refuse the Light because they prefer the darkness and their evil deeds. What can be done for such people? The answer—nothing. God has already done everything, and those who reject the Son “shall not see life” but the wrath of God abides on them. God will be entirely righteous in His judgment of such people, for He has given them the cross, He has paid the price, and there is nothing more to be done.

I do not know where the Spirit goes; if I did, I would try my best to be there. But I do have the command of Jesus, who bade me, “Say not ye, there are four months and then comes harvest. Behold I say unto you, lift up your eyes upon the fields, for they are white already to harvest.” So my job as a Christian is to proclaim faithfully, even to those I might despise, the Pharisees of my day, the infidels, the worst of sinners, and even the one who lives next door to me. Who knows but that God will use my lips to bring His Gospel to cause someone to be gloriously reborn? I thank God that someone once thought enough of me to proclaim Christ to me. I was forever changed—and that is grace.

Wonderful grace of Jesus

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Refrain
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Wonderful grace, all sufficient for me, for even me.
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame,
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus.
Praise His Name!
Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost,
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Refrain
Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God’s dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven,
For all eternity;
And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me

Words & Music: Haldor Lillenas, 1918

John 3:1-8

2011-11-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Key Observation:
Nicodemus, a secret follower, came to Jesus to learn.

Devotion:
Nicodemus came to Jesus by night signifying that he was not an open follower; we know no more of him than that. By inference, commentators say that Nicodemus believed in the miracles and “that thou art a teacher come from God”, but they had no real faith in Christ. John brings us again and again to crowds, people swarming around our Lord, but people who did not commit to Him. They were interested in Him because He fed them, or they were interested in His miracles, and hoped they might see another one.

McGee points out the historical record is in unanimity about the miracles; even the enemies of Jesus did not argue against the miracles. They were plain for all to see. But evidently the miracles themselves were what people wished for. John six tells us that the crowds came by force to make Him a king. The people were very upset with the presence of Jesus, but they did not know how to act. They were, in the words of this chapter, not born again, but were struggling in their flesh even to honor and accord the Son of God. But to no avail.

Knowing the gospel, and realizing who Jesus is, is not enough to save you. Are you trusting God? Are you believing Him, and are you walking with Him? James challenges us to show faith without deeds, and tells us that he will show us his faith by what he does. Here is a great mystery. We cannot be saved by our works; it is the grace of God alone which saves us as we trust in Him. But neither are we saved apart from our works. The works which I would choose to do for God are naught but folly, doomed to never please Him. But the works that I do by faith, leaning on the Spirit himself, and trusting Him to do through me, these works are works that Jesus does expect of me.

Second Corinthians has lots to teach us on walking the Christian life. “And we, who with unveiled faces, all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18) Do you see the mystery revealed? Our work is to reflect the glory of Jesus, but that glory comes from Jesus through the Spirit. In other words, we are to walk in the Spirit, let Him use us, and for that use, we will be changed more and more into the likeness of Jesus. What a mystery!

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4) When I have the wonderful privilege of leading someone to Christ, it is me speaking the Word, but it is the Spirit of God doing the actual drawing. That is why my prayer focus should be that the Lord would send me as a laborer into HIS harvest. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay [the musical group got its name here] to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor. 4:7) And again: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being transformed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16)

John says the wind blows where it will, and so the Spirit goes where He will, to bring life and the peace of knowing Christ to lives that we would not expect. Did the disciples expect the Spirit to speak to Saul of Tarsus? The record is complete, and those who found the reborn Saul on their hands had to have a special revelation from God to put their trust in Saul. Paul, formerly know as a sinner before God by the name of Saul, knew what a miracle God worked in changing his heart. Saul worked very hard to please God; as a Pharisee of renown he had memorized the first five books of the Bible. He worked hard for God, dressing right, teaching others, but all the time he himself was not reached.

It was not until Jesus appeared to Saul that Saul became Paul. I believe that when Jesus did this, he was appointing the apostle to replace Judas. I do think the church erred when they picked their two apostles—neither one ever came close to the record of the one whom Jesus picked. In fact, we never hear about anything of the rest of their lives. They were godly men, but not apostles, because they were not picked personally by Jesus. At least that is my view. According to the book of Acts he was in the desert many years unlearning much of what he thought he knew. So is it when one is born of the Spirit. God’s grace confounds the wisdom of man. Therefore it is my responsibility to be used of God for His purposes. Probably around some of the people who I despise the most, if we are to learn for Saul’s conversion.

So James is very correct when he challenges us; the only way we can show our faith is by our works. Yet the mystery of God comes in when we find we cannot do the works ourselves. It is the work of the Spirit within us, as we yield to God, that does the works which are approved of God. And I should not make the mistake of thinking I will not be held accountable. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10) Please do not misunderstand this bema seat of judgment. We have already been found to be worthy of being with Christ, because of our trust in God. At this seat we will receive rewards, crowns, and perhaps responsibilities. If what we have done is unrighteous, not in the Spirit, our works will be burned up, yet we ourselves shall be saved.

Salvation by grace

Titus 3:3-7.

[Lord, we confess our num'rous faults,
How great our guilt has been!
Foolish and vain were all our thoughts,
And all our lives were sin.

But, O my soul! for ever praise,
For ever love his name,
Who turns thy feet from dangerous ways
Of folly, sin, and shame.]

['Tis not by works of righteousness
Which our own hands have done;
But we are saved by sovereign grace
Abounding through his Son.]

'Tis from the mercy of our God
That all our hopes begin;
'Tis by the water and the blood
Our souls are washed from sin.

'Tis through the purchase of his death
Who hung upon the tree,
The Spirit is sent down to breathe
On such dry bones as we.

Raised from the dead we live anew;
And, justified by grace,
We shall appear in glory too,
And see our Father's face.

Isaac Watts

John 2: 12-25

2011-11-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

Key Observation:
The main purpose of John is “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ” (John 20:31) and in this section we find Jesus acting jealously for His father.

Devotion:
The Life of Christ in Stereo makes it apparent that Christ cleaned out the temple twice, once at the beginning of his ministry and once at the end of his ministry. John, with his attention to both time and place, puts this cleansing clearly near the beginning of His ministry. Matthew tells us that Jesus, after His triumphal entry, He “entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” (Matt. 21:12) Clearly John tells us of the cleansing of the temple as being early; Matthew equally clearly tells us of a late cleansing. The two times of cleansing are easily accounted for if we view it as two separate cleansings: one at the beginning of His ministry, and one near the end.

McGee says: “This was not at the beginning of His public ministry but probably at the end of the first year.” I do not think I agree. John is practically a slave to time and place, even this early in John:
1) Now all this happened at Bethany 1:28
2) The next day 1:29
3) The next day 1:35
4) The first thing Andrew did 1:41
5) The next day 1:43
6) On the third day a wedding took place in Cana 2:1(We are left with an unknown period of time between chapter one and two)
7) After this he went to Capernaum 2:12 (again an indeterminate period of time)
8) he stayed there a few days 2:12
9) When it was almost time for the Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem 2:13

Thus it seems to me that these events are connected in time in John’s mind, and that they were probably not a long time apart. The measured time we have is the continual “next day” or “after this”. McGee does not give a reason for the longer time, and I do admit it could have been months. I wonder what his reason for believing the longer interval was.
In any case McGee himself agrees there were two cleansings: “He did this twice. One cleansing was at the beginning of His ministry and one again at the end of His ministry.”

I recall my early Christian life and a pastor friend of mine who had great difficulty with believing there were two cleansings. I think it was because this act is sometimes interpreted as the mad ravings of the weird Jesus. Jesus was acting in a bizarre fashion, at least according to how we think of proper behavior. I think my dear friend was not looking at the offense through the eyes of Jesus. Think about it for a moment. Jesus was seeing His own Father’s house turned into a house of merchandise. It was a place for man to try to find peace with God, a place that God himself had picked. It is also the exact place to which the Son is returning, and will set up His rule on earth. That this place should be despoiled by sinful man selling his wares was an ultimate despising of the house of God. Of course He cleaned it out. At the beginning of His ministry, He cleaned it to symbolize His authority. At the end of His ministry He cleaned it anew for the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

How do I know that? Well, in verse 18 the Jews ask for a miracle so that Jesus could show He had authority to do such bold and bizarre actions. Jesus gave them a miracle, saying, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it again.” He did answer their petition to validate his authority. The resurrection did establish His authority once for all. But they misunderstood Him, thought He was speaking of the temple he had just cleansed, and even his own disciples did not understand this saying until after the resurrection.

A final note. I can’t help but remark on a theme of John contrasted against another theme. First John tells us (v. 11) that his disciples put their faith in Him. Then he tells us “many people” (v. 23) believed in His name. But then John adds a note: Jesus did not commit himself to any of them, for He knew what was in a man. These themes are repeated throughout John. Many believe. Many follow. But the Lord knows their heart. In John we see great movements of many crowds, trying to take Jesus and make Him a king by force. But we see Jesus, not willing to give Himself for that purpose, because the mind of God was for others. Where would you or I be if not for God’s willingness to wait for us? The matchless grace of Jesus was given to me, at least in part because God had a better plan—the plan of the cross.

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

1. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

2. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

3. Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God's dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven,
For all eternity;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Chorus:
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus,
Praise His Name!

Lyrics: Haldor Lillenas

Building Biblical Pillars

John 14 22 to 31

John 14 15 to 21

John 14 12 to 14

John 14 5 to 11

John 14 1 to 4

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102809-102813). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 13 33 to 38

Cry Out For Revival!

John 13 21 to 32

John 13 15 to 20

Tozer, A.W. (2010-06-03). Man - The Dwelling Place of God (Kindle Locations 1918-1921). Unknown. Kindle Edition.McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102598-102601). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 13:1-15

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102262-102263). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 12 31 to 50

John 12 19 to 31

John 12 12 to 18

Lewis Sperry Chafer (2008-07-24). Salvation (p. 42). Taft Software, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

John 12 1 to 11

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102256-102259). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 11:35

John 11 46 to 57

John 11 17 to 45

John 11 1 to 17

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102047-102052). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Summation of eleven chapters of John

John 10 31 to 42

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101852-101857). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 10 15 to 30

Thoughts on this morning’s sermon, 01/08/12

John 10 7 to 14

John 10 1 to 6

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101864-101867). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 191-194). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

John 9 35 to 41

John 9 18 to 34

John 9 8 to 17

John 9

John 8 51 to 59

John 8 41 to 50

John 8 31 to 40

John 8 21 to 31

John 8 12 to 20

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101284-101287). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 8 1 to 11

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101329-101330). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101284-101287). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 7 40 to 53

John 7 31 to 39

John 7 21 to 30

John 7 10 to 20

John 7 1 to 10

John 6 59 to 71

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101035-101036). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101031-101034). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 6 47 to 58

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101090-101096). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101077-101080). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 6 41 to 46

John 6 36 to 40

John 6 28 to 35

John 6 22 to 27

John 6 16 to 21

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Location 100962). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 6:1-14

John 5:39 to 47

John 5:28-39

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 100779-100780). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 5:19-27

John 5:10-18

John 5:1-9

John 4:42-54

John 4:39-42

John 4:27-38

John 4:20-26

John 4:12-19

John 4:11-19

John 4:1-10

John 3:19-33

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 100402-100403). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

John 3:9-21

John 3:1-8

John 2: 12-25

Tozer, A.W. (2010-06-03). Man - The Dwelling Place of God (Kindle Locations 1918-1921). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 102598-102601). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101864-101867). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Spurgeon, Charles H. (2010-05-14). A Defense of Calvinism (Kindle Locations 191-194). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101035-101036). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101031-101034). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101090-101096). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.

McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 101077-101080). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.